Wikipedia: Purple Betony is a perennial grassland herb growing to 1 to 2 feet tall with leaves stalked on upright stems, narrowly oval, with a heart-shaped base, with a somewhat wrinkled texture and toothed margins. Presumably, Depew uses VELVET in this poem to substitute for Purple. Purple Betony flowers in mid summer from July to September, and is found in dry grassland, meadows and open woods in most of Europe, western Asia and North Africa. In the British Isles it is common in England and Wales, but rare in Ireland and northern Scotland. Was commonly grown in physic gardens of apothecaries and monasteries for medicinal purposes. An Italian proverb advices that you should "Sell your coat and buy Betony." While a Spanish compliment states, "He has as many virtues as Betony." Modern herbalists prescribe betony to treat anxiety, gallstones, heartburn, high blood pressure, migraine and neuralgia, and to prevent sweating. It can also be used as an ointment for cuts and sores. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.