Plants of the Castlemaine district

Deadnettle - introduced (*Lamium amplexicaule)

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Other names: Henbit.

Family: Lamiaceae (Mint family).

Native of Europe.

Occurrence: Occasional weed of roadsides and waste areas.

Identification:

Deadnettle is an annual. It is reputed to cause staggers in sheep.

Nettle: from the resemblance of the leaves of Lamiums to Stinging Nettles; dead because of the absence of stinging hairs. In Europe the two unrelated nettles sometimes grow together, and is likely to be an example of mimicry providing protection to the imitator. Lamium from the Greek laimos the throat, referring to the long floral tube. The throat is too long for honeybees to reach the nectar (except by breaking through the tube), but not too long for bumble bees. amplexicaule from amplexis = clasped, caulis = a stem, referring to the stem-clasping leaves.

Images: Deadnettle. Castlemaine. The plant came up in my vegetable garden (2016); it had not been present for at least 30 years previously. img2