Phil Bendle Collection:Lamium purpureum (Red dead-nettle)

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Lamium
Species: L. purpureum
Binomial name: Lamium purpureum
Common names: Red dead-nettle, Purple dead-nettle, Red henbit, Purple archangel

Lamium purpureum is an annual, herbaceous flowering plant native to Europe and Asia. It is a relatively small annual weed found in gardens, crops and waste places in most parts of New Zealand.
Lamium purpureum grows to 5–20 cm in height. It tends to sprawl rather than grow upright. The leaves have fine hairs, are green at the bottom and shade to purplish at the top; they are 2–4 cm long and broad, with a 1–2 cm petiole (leaf stalk), and wavy to serrated margins.
The zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical) flowers are clustered at the base of leaves. They are lilac and have a top hood-like petal, two lower lip petal lobes and minute fang-like lobes between. The corolla shows a line of hairs near the base of the tube. They may be produced throughout the year, including mild weather in winter. This allows bees to gather its nectar for food when few other nectar sources are available.
Though superficially similar to species of Urtica (true nettles) in appearance, it is not related and does not sting, hence the name "dead-nettle".

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ 

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