L amiumpurpureum.R edL am iu m o rD e a dN e t t l e
LAMIUM Linnal Gen. PI. Didyn am'ia Gymnospermia. Corolla labium fuperius integrum, fornicatum,
labium inferius bilobum ; faux utrinque margine dentata. Lin. Defer ip. Gen. abbrev.
Rail Syn. Gen. 14. Suffrutices et herbæ verticillatæ.
LAMIUM purpureum foliis cordatis öbtufis petiolatis. Linn. Syfl. Vegetab. p. 446. Bp. PI. 809. FI.
Suecic. 202.
LAMIUM foliis cordatis, obtufis, in fummo ramo congeftis. Haller hiß. v. 1. 118.
LAMIUM purpureum. Scopoli FI. Carniol. p. 407. n. yo u
LAMIUM purpureum fætidum, folio fubrotundo, five Galeopfis Diofcoridis. Bauhin. pin. 230. Lamium
rubrum. Gerard, emac. 703. Parkinfon. 604. Raii Synopfs Small Dead Nettle or red Archangel 240*
Hudfon. Fl. Angl. 225. Oeder. FI. Dan. icon. 523.
RADIX annua, fibrofa. |
CAULES plures, ad bafin debiles, et ramofi, prope fum- |
mitatem fere nudi, et fæpe colorati, femi-peda-1
les, quadrangulares, fiftulofi, fcrabiufc.uli. |
t
FOLIA oppofita, venofa, hirfutula, inferiora fubrotundo-1
cordata, crenata, longe petiölata : fuperiora |
ovato-cordata, obtufe {errata, petiolis brevibus|
infidentia, alterne oppofita, reflexa, denfe et im-1
bricatim congefta, et rubedine tinfta.
It
FLORES purpurei, in fummis caulibus verticillatim |
denfius ftipati. Verticilli multiflori. *
?
CALYX : PERiANTHiuMmonophyllum,tubulatum,fu-|
perne patentius, quinquedentatum, fubftriatum, t
hirfutulum, dentibus fubæqualibus, acumi-1
natis. fig. i . *
COROLLA monopetala, ringens, pallidepurpurea, fig. 2 ; |
tubus brevis, cylindraceus, fig. 6 ; faux in -1
flata, margine utroque bidentata, fig. 4 ; denti- f
culo fuperiori fpinae fimili, inferiore obtufiore, ?
rnaeula notata ; labium fuperius,^. 3, ovatum, |
concavum, villofulum, integrum, labium inferius I
bilobum, maculatum, lobis patentibus,^. 5. |
?
I
STAMINA: Filamenta quatuor, fubulata, alba, fub^
labio fuperiori tefta, quorum duo longiora,fig.J ; |
A ntheræ oblongæ, barbatæ, polliue croceo|
repletæ. fig. 8. f
PISTILLUM: Germen quadrifidum ; Stylus filiformis, |
longitudine et fitu ftaminum ; Stigma bifidum, ¥
acutum, fig. 9> 10, 11.. |
SEMINA 4 in fundo calycis, pallida, triangularia, apice 'f
truncata, marginata, fig. 12. |
ROOT annual and fibrous.
STALKS leveral, at bottom weak and branched, near
the top almoft naked, and frequently coloured,
fix inches or more in height, quadrangular,
hollow, and flightly rough.
LEAVES oppofite, veiny, flightly hairy, the lower
ones of a roundifli-heart-fhaped form, notched,
and placed on footftalks, the 'uppermoft ones
o.val-heart-ftiaped, obtufely ferrated, with Abort
footftalks, alternately oppofite, growing thickly
together, bent back and laying one over another,
of a reddifli colour,
FLOWERS purple, growing thickly together on the
tops of the ftalks in whirls; many flowers in
each whirl.
CALYX : a Perianthium of one leaf, tubular, at top
fpreading, with five teeth, fomewhat ftriated
and hairy, the teeth nearly equal and long
pointed, fig. 1.
COROLLA monopetalous, gaping,, of a pale purple
colour, fig. 2 ; the tube ftiort and cylindrical,
fig. 6 ; the entrance of the tube inflated,
the margin on each fide furnifhed with two
teeth, fig. 4; the uppermoft pointed like a thorn,
the lowermoft blunter with a {pot on i t ; the
upper lip, fig. 3, oval, - hollow, flightly villous,
entire, the under lip divided into two lobes, Ipread-
ing a little from one another, and fpotted, fig. 5.
STAMINA : four Filaments, tapering and white, hid
under the upper lip, two of which are longer
than the reft,^ fig. 7 ; the A nther.® oblong,
bearded, and full of a yellow pollen, fig. 8.
PISTILLUM : Germen quadrifid ; Stylus filiform, the
length of the Stamina; Stigma bifid and
pointed, q, 10, 11.
SEEDS 4 in the bottom of the Calyx, of a pale brown,
triangular, cut off as it were at top, with a
margin round them, fig. 12.
Although this Plant may perhaps with propriety be confidered as a Weed in Gardens, yet the bright colour of its
tops and flowers, joined to its early appearance, contributes not a little to ornament our banks in the Spring, when
few other plants appear in bloflom.
The Flowers are moft commonly of a bright red colour, {ometimes white, and are much reforted to by Bees of
various kinds.
The Leaves and Flowers are thofe parts of the Plant which are ufed in Medicine, although in thé prefent p raft ice
they are fcarce regarded.
According to L inn^ us, it is boiled in Upland, a Province of Sweden, as a pot herb. A variety of this Plant
occurs not unfrequently about Town, which has its leaves more,deeply indented. Ra y calls it Lamium rubrum
minus, foliis profunde incifis. I have found it growing on a bank on the right hand fide of the way between Pimlico
and Chelfea.