Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 579 (1753).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Red deadnettle.

Description:
Annual herbs with branches quadrangular, more or less tinged red, to 30 cm long, much-branched mainly from the base and often with adventitious roots at the base, with recurved hairs often with a broader base mainly along the ridges and increasing although never many on the inflorescence; leaves with the petiole 1-4 cm long; blade broadly ovate, 1-5 x 1-3 cm, usually cordate at the base, serrate to crenate-serrate, finely hairy.

Inflorescence a thyrse with a peduncle 6-20 cm long or sometimes less distinct on small lateral branches, with sessile cymose part-inflorescences forming a dense cluster around the nodes with lower internodes between clusters of flowers much elongated, with bracts subtending each cluster leaf-like and petiolate; sepals fused to about half their length, 11-14-veined, 5-7 mm long, regular, with pointed lobes of equal length, sparsely hairy outside; corolla reddish-purple with rose spots on the lower lip, 2-lipped, with the tube longer than both lips, 10-20 mm long, hairy on the outer mainly exposed surfaces, with posterior lip short, erect and hooded, with anterior lip narrowly spathulate with 2 lateral lobes broad and scarcely distinct and with the broader anterior lobe distinctly 2-lobed; stamens inserted in the throat of the corolla tube, with the filaments shortly hairy; anthers with 2 cells strongly diverging so that they are above one another in a vertical line, with bristle-like hairs on the back, enclosed in hood of the posterior lip; ovary on a thick disc, deeply 4-lobed, with a slender style apparently inserted in the middle and curved along the posterior lip of the corolla, with a 2-fid stigma.

Mericarps obovoid-obpyramidal, c. 3 mm long, with an attachment scar narrowly oblong along the base, smooth to slightly rough.

	Flowering branch and calyx.
Image source: fig. 553E in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Ross-Craig (1967) Drawings Brit. Pl. 24:pl. 39.

Distribution:  A rare weed of cultivated lands.   Vic.; Tas.   New Zealand. Native to or an early introduction to most parts of Europe but also into adjoining western Asia and northern Africa. Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: Aug. — Oct.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available