Lamium maculatum
| Lamium maculatum | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Lamium |
| Species: | L. maculatum |
| Binomial name | |
| Lamium maculatum L. |
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Lamium maculatum (also known as Spotted Deadnettle, Spotted Henbit and Purple Dragon) is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae.
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[edit] Description
This species is very variable, in term of leaf size and shape, hairiness and flower colours. Lamium maculatum reaches on average 20–80 centimetres (7.9–31 in) of height. It is a plant with erect, hollow and pubescent stems, branched at the base only. The soft hairy leaf blade is about 8 inches long. They are spotted (hence the Latin name “maculatum” of this species), toothed and have long petioles, about 2–4 centimetres (0.79–1.6 in) long. Their shape varies from ovate-triangular to heart-shaped. The inflorescence]] bears about two to eight hermaphrodite flowers about 20–30 millimetres (0.79–1.2 in) long. The flowers of the plant are formed in the leaf axils of the upper leaf pairs. The upper lip of the flowers are helmet-shaped, usually pink or purplish, while the bilobate lower one is whitish with purple dots. The stamens are located in the upper lip and have orange pollen. The flowering period extends from April through November.
[edit] Gallery
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[edit] Origin
Once known as the "Convicts flower" for its appearance upon the marsh graves of inmates along the Thames at Woolwich and Deptford.
Lamium maculatum was depicted in a painting by Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century [1].
Lamium maculatum 'Purple Dragon' has unusually purple snapdragon-type flowers several times a year, over bright silver foliage with a green edge. Grows 4-8" tall in shaded or partially shaded areas in Australia. It tends to grow higher in spring while during the colder weather it is much flatter to the ground. If subjected to light frost, lamium maculatum will recover in spring as it enters its growth cycle.
[edit] Distribution
This plant is native throughout Europe and temperate Asia (Lebanon, Syria, Turkey).
[edit] Habitat
It grows in a variety of habitats from open grassland to woodland, generally on moist, fertile soils at an altitude of 0–1,200 metres (0–3,900 ft) above sea level.
[edit] Cultivation
A wide variety of cultivars have been developed, mainly for their coloured and varigated leaves:
[edit] Synonyms
- Lamium album var. maculatum L.
- Lamium foliosum Crantz
- Lamium laevigatum L.
- Lamium melissifolium Mill.
- Lamium rubrum Jenk.
- Lamium rugosum Sol. in W.Aiton
- Lamium hirsutum Lam.
- Lamium stoloniferum Lapeyr.
- Lamium affine Guss. & Ten. in M.Tenore
- Lamium columnae Ten.
- Lamium mutabile Dumort.
- Lamium vulgatum var. rubrum Benth.
- Lamium tillii Ten.
- Lamium grenieri Mutel
- Lamium grandiflorum Willd. ex Benth.
- Lamium niveum Schrad.
- Lamium gundelsheimeri K.Koch
- Lamium truncatum Boiss.
- Lamium cupreum Schott
- Lamium dilatatum Schur
- Lamium elegantissimum Schur
- Lamium cardiaca Cogn.
- Lamium cupreum subsp. dilatatum (Schur) Nyman
- Lamium pallidiflorum Beck
- Lamium villosifolium (R.R.Mill) A.P.Khokhr.
[edit] References
- Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia - Edagricole – 1982 Vol. II, pg. 456
- Mayhew H. - The criminal prisons of London, and scenes of prison life - 1862, p. 224
[edit] External links
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