Lamium amplexicaule L.   Lamiaceae (Mint Family)   Europe   Dead Nettle Mint   Common Henbit

                                          March Photo

Plant Characteristics: Mostly annual, sparsely pubescent, the stems branched from the base, +/- decumbent, 1-4 dm. long; lvs. broadly ovate to roundish, truncate or cordate at base, coarsely crenate, the lower petioled, the upper not, 2-2.5 cm. wide; fls. few, in axillary and terminal clusters; calyx pubescent, ca. 4-5 mm. long, the teeth erect; corolla purple red, 12-16 mm. long, the tube glabrous inside, upper lip pubescent; the nutlets are sharply 3-angled, grayish-brown in color, speckled with silvery-gray granules.

Habitat:  In waste places below 4500 ft., occasionally natur., especially northward.  April-Sept.

Name:  Greek, laimos, throat, because of the gaping corolla.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 525).  Latin, amplexus, encircling.  (Jaeger 16).  Amplex, encircling and caulis, stem, suggesting that the leaf bases encircle or clasp the stem.  (John Johnson).  They are entitled to the strangely favorable label "dead" because in this case it distinguishes them from the "true" or stinging nettle whose leaves their own resemble.  (Hatfield 75).

General:  Rare in the study area, first in the Santa Ana heights flats in an area that is now developed to housing.  Found in 1998 in upper Big Canyon near Jamboree Rd.  (my comments).      May be boiled alone or with other ingredients and eaten.  A tincture of L. album leaves and flowers has been used upon the female generative organs to cause inflammatory excitement.  (Coon 233).        Although it is an annual, it can be found flowering almost throughout the year. In mild winters it continues to flaunt its rose-colored blooms that are mainly for show and do nothing to propagate the species.  It has other flowers however, inconspicuous ones that do not open but self-pollinate the seeds that nestle safely inside.  So henbit does not rely on bees or any other insect, but instead gets along very well without them.  Its average seed production per plant reaches about a thousand, but only a few offspring survive.  Henbit is not gregarious and never appears in abundant masses.  (Hatfield 76).      About 40 spp. of the Old World.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 525

Text Ref:  Abrams, Vol. III 630; Hickman, Ed. 714; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 525; Roberts 27.

Photo Ref:  Feb 1 85 # 8,9,24A.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by F. Roberts.

First Found:  February 1985.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 68.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 12/26/04.  

                                        February Photo                                                                  February Photo