motherwort

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• motherwort
• common mother-wort
• common motherwort

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Cardiaca crispa
• Leonurus trilobatus
• Lamium cardiaca
• Leonurus cardiaca var. rotundifolia
• Cardiaca trilobata
• Cardiaca vulgaris
• Stachys triloba
• Leonurus cardiaca var. capitatus
• Leonurus cardiaca var. hirtella
• Leonurus cardiaca subsp. intermedius
• Leonurus neglectus
• Leonurus cardiaca var. intermedius
• Cardiaca stachys
• Leonurus campestris
• Leonurus aconitifolius
• Leonurus cardiaca var. adscendens
• Leonurus illyricus
• Leonurus discolor
• Leonurus crispus
• Leonurus lacerus

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Lamiales and family Lamiaceae, it is classified under the genus Leonurus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, known as motherwort, exhibits a specific distribution across Northern Europe. It can be found growing in the natural landscapes of Denmark. Additionally, its presence extends northward into the territories of Norway and Sweden. The species also inhabits the coastal and inland regions of Great Britain. Finally, it completes its northern range by appearing within the borders of Finland.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Leonurus cardiaca is characterized by its preference for lowland environments, where it thrives in relatively low-altitude settings. It is typically found across an elevational range starting from 0 m AMSL and extending up to a maximum of 500 m AMSL. This specific altitudinal niche indicates that the species is adapted to the warmer, more stable conditions found in low-lying landscapes rather than montane or alpine ecosystems.

Elevational range max:

500 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Lowland

Life history

The life history of Leonurus cardiaca is characterized by its classification as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a hemicryptophyte, its perennuating buds are located at or near the soil surface, protected by leaf litter or ground cover during unfavorable conditions. This species exhibits an evergreen deciduousness trait, maintaining its vegetative structure in a manner that ensures survival across varying environmental cycles. Through its distinct life form and perennial nature, the plant establishes a stable presence within its ecological niche, utilizing its hemicryptophytic growth strategy to endure seasonal shifts.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Leonurus cardiaca is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and forb. It is a self-supporting plant that does not function as a climber or a liana, maintaining an independent lifestyle as it is neither a parasite nor an epiphyte, typically existing in a terrestrial habitat. The plant exhibits significant variability in its stature, with a height ranging from a minimum of 0.3 m to a maximum of 2 m, though it maintains a mean plant height of approximately 0.65 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

2 m

Plant height mean:

0.65 m

Plant height min:

0.3 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Leonurus cardiaca is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency in temperate environments. As a non-carnivorous species, the plant relies entirely on autotrophic nutrient acquisition from the soil rather than the capture of prey. Its vegetative morphology displays significant plasticity in leaf dimensions, with leaf lengths ranging from a minimum of 3 cm to a maximum of 28 cm. Similarly, the leaf width varies considerably, maintaining a minimum width of 2 cm, a mean width of 8 cm, and reaching a maximum width of 4 cm, reflecting a diverse range of surface area availability for gas exchange and light absorption.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf length max:

28 cm

Leaf length min:

3 cm

Leaf width max:

4 cm

Leaf width mean:

8 cm

Leaf width min:

2 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Leonurus cardiaca is primarily a sexual process, as asexual reproduction is absent in this species. The flowering period typically commences in June and extends through September. The plant utilizes a biotic pollination syndrome, specifically relying on insects, with bees identified as a key pollinator. During the reproductive cycle, self-fertilization is present, ensuring successful seed set. The resulting fruits are relatively small, with a mean length of 0.2 cm. The seeds produced are minute, characterized by a mean mass of approximately 0.0009421665 g, with individual seed masses ranging from a minimum of 0.000765 g to a maximum of 0.0013 g. For dispersal, the plant employs a zoochorous syndrome, specifically utilizing epizoochorous mechanisms to distribute its seeds via animals.

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

epizoochorous

Flowering time :

Jun

Flowering time :

Sep

Fruit length mean:

0.2 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Seed mass max:

0.0013 g

Seed mass mean:

0.0009421665 g

Seed mass min:

0.000765 g

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Leonurus cardiaca has 53 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Leonurine, Hyperoside, RUTIN, CATECHIN, CHLOROGENIC ACID.

Leonurine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Experientia
3. Life sciences
4. Pharmacology & therapeutics

Hyperoside

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Planta medica

RUTIN

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Planta medica

CATECHIN

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

CHLOROGENIC ACID

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Planta medica

quercetin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Planta medica

stachydrine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Ceska a Slovenska farmacie : casopis Ceske farmaceuticke spolecnosti a Slovenske farmaceuticke spolecnosti

3-OCTANOL

1. Dr. Duke

ALPHA-PINENE

1. Dr. Duke

Ajugol

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Leonurus cardiaca has 426 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Uterotonic, Analgesic, Antibacterial, Cardioprotective.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Planta medica
3. Pharmacology & therapeutics

Uterotonic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Experientia
3. The American journal of Chinese medicine

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Planta medica

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Planta medica

Cardioprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Cardiotonic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Current pharmaceutical design

Emmenagogue

1. Dr. Duke
2. The American journal of Chinese medicine

11B-HSD-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-HT-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Conditions

Leonurus cardiaca has 16 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include anxiety, cardiovascular diseases, apoptosis, blood circulation, heart diseases.

Anxiety

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Frontiers in genetics

Cardiovascular diseases

1. Planta medica
2. Wiadomosci lekarskie (Warsaw, Poland : 1960)

Apoptosis

1. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Blood circulation

1. Planta medica

Heart diseases

1. Frontiers in genetics

Heart failure

1. Wiadomosci lekarskie (Warsaw, Poland : 1960)

Hypotension

1. Wiadomosci lekarskie (Warsaw, Poland : 1960)

Ischemia-reperfusion injury

1. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Neuroprotection

1. Phytochemistry

Oxidative damage

1. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Preparations

Leonurus cardiaca has 4 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Leonurus cardiaca (NPL), aqueous extract, aqueous solutions of ethanolic tinctures, herb extract.

Leonurus cardiaca (npl)

1. Georgian medical news

Aqueous extract

1. European journal of medical research

Aqueous solutions of ethanolic tinctures

1. Biology

Herb extract

1. Planta medica