Common Australian Garden Weeds

Lamium amplexicaule

Scientific name: Lamium amplexicaule L.


Dead nettle (Lamium amplexicaule) in flower.


The pinkish-purple tubular flowers of dead nettle.


Close-up of the tubular flowers of Dead nettle.


The upper leaves are stem-clasping (sessile) and coarsely scalloped. The leaves are also oppositely arranged on a quadrangular (4-sided) stem.

Common name: Dead nettle, henbit

Family: Lamiaceae

Origin:

A native of Europe and Asia.

Habit:

Annual herb with ascending stems (ie. rising obliquely at first then upwards at the ends) up to 40 cm tall.

Habitat:

Weed of tended areas, also a common crop weed.

General description:

Stems and leaves

Stems are hairy, 4-sided, hollow, branching, freely from the base. The lower leaves have petioles (leaf stalks) up to 6 cm long, upper leaves are sessile (stalkless) or stem clasping. Leaf blade shape ranges from broadly oval to Kidney shaped, size of lower leaves is 1-2 × 1-2 cm, upper leaves 1-3 × 2-4 cm. Leaf margins are coarsely scalloped.

Flowers and fruit

Flowers are pinkish purple, 1.2-1.6 cm long borne in clusters of six to ten in the axils of the upper stem clasping leaves. Nuts are smooth.

Distinguishing characteristics:

A week hairy herb with ascending 4-angled stems with lower leaves that have petioles and upper leaves that are stem clasping. Individual flowers are small, pinkish-purple, they are borne in clusters of 6-10 in the axils of the upper stem-clasping leaves. This plant is very similar to Stachys arvensis (stagger weed) but can be distinguished because of the stem-clasping leaves in Lamium amplexicaule (dead nettle).

Noxious status:

Not noxious. Causes "staggers" in stock.

Sources:

Kleinschmidt, H.E., Holland, A. and Simpson, P. (1996). Suburban Weeds. 3rd Edition. Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane.

Stanley, T.E. and Ross, E.M. (1983-1989). Flora of South-eastern Queensland. Volume 2. Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane.

Auld, B.A. and Medd, R.W. (1996). Weeds: An Illustrated Botanical Guide to Weeds of Australia. Inkata Press, Sydney.