Woundwort

[f. WOUND sb. + WORT sb.¹, after Du. wondkruid, G. wundkraut.] A popular name given to various plants from their use in healing wounds, esp. (a) one of the species of Stachys, often more fully as Clown’s w., Downy w., Marsh w., etc.; (b) the golden-rod (Solidago Virgaurea); (c) the kidney-vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria); (d) the comfrey (Symphytum officinale); † (e) Saracen’s w. (Senecio saracenicus); (f) Hercules’ all-heal (Opopanax Chironium); (g) Knight’s pondwort (Stratiotes aloides).

1548.  Turner, Names of Herbes (E.D.S.), 87. Solidago seracenica … is called in duch Heidnishe wuntkraut…. It may be called in english Woundewurte.

1597.  Gerarde, Herbal, II. xcvii. 347. Saracenes Consounde is called in Latine Solidago Saracenica,… in English … Saracenes Woundwoort. Ibid., xcix. 349. Of captaine Doreas his Woundwoort. Ibid., cclxxxv. 677. It seemeth to be Stratiotes aquatilis or Stratiotes potamios, or Knights water Woundwoort. Ibid., ccclxxiv. 851. Of Clownes Woundwoort or Alheale. Ibid., 852. Whereupon I haue named it Clounes Woundwoort.

1640.  Parkinson, Theat. Bot., 693. Achillea Sideritis lutea. Achilles yellow Woundwort.

1657.  W. Coles, Adam in Eden, ccxli. 381. Allheale … is called in English Hercules Allheale, and Hercules Woundwort.

1718.  Rowe, Lucan, IX. 1566. Woundwort and Maiden-weed perfume the Air.

1756.  P. Browne, Jamaica, 320. The downy Woundworth [sic] … is a native of … Jamaica. It should be a fine vulnerary.

1796.  Burney, Mem. Metastasio, I. 364. You speak to me of dittany and wound-wort.

1796.  Withering, Brit. Pl., III. 531. Stachys sylvatica,… Hedge Nettle Woundwort. Ibid., 728. Common Goldenrod. Woundwort. Solidago Virga-aurea.

1819.  Rees, Cycl., Wound-Wort, Hercules’s, or All-heal, the laserpitium chironium of Linnæus.

1852.  G. W. Johnson’s Cottage Gard. Dict., Anthyllis vulneraria (common woundwort).

1857.  Anne Pratt, Flower. Pl., IV. 190. Stachys sylvatica (Hedge Woundwort). Ibid., 191. Stachys palustris (Marsh Woundwort). Ibid., 192. Stachys Germanica (Downy Woundwort). Ibid., 193. Stachys arvensis (Corn Woundwort).