Phil Bendle Collection:Lamium maculatum (Spotted dead nettle)

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Lamium
Species: L. maculatum
Binomial name: Lamium maculatum
Common names: Spotted dead nettle, spotted henbit, Purple Dragon, Deadnettle, Lamium,

Lamium maculatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native throughout Europe and temperate Asia (Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and western China).
Lamium maculatum is prostrate, spreading herbaceous perennial. It is very variable in terms of leaf size, shape, hairiness and in colour. 
The crinkled leaves shape varies from ovate-triangular to heart-shaped. They have rounded marginal teeth and are unpleasantly scented when bruised.
Lamium maculatum has erect, hollow and pubescent stems that are only branched at the base.
The inflorescence bears about two to eight hermaphrodite flowers about 20–30 millimetres long. The flowers of the plant are formed in the leaf axils of the upper leaf pairs. The upper lips of the flowers are helmet-shaped, usually pink or purplish, while the bilobate lower ones are whitish with purple dots. The stamens are located in the upper lip and have orange pollen. 
Lamium maculatum is valued as a groundcover in moist, shady areas. It will rapidly colonise an area and may become invasive given suitable growing conditions.

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

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