Description: Annual herbs; branches 4-angular; hairs simple.
Leaves decussate, simple, crenate, toothed or lobed, petiolate.
Inflorescence leafy, thyrse-like with sessile cymes in each leaf axil, each c. 7-flowered. Calyx 5-lobed; lobes ± equal. Corolla 2-lipped, with lower lobe oblong-spathulate, lateral lobes short and broad, and upper lobes narrow-obovate and hooded. Stamens 4, fertile; anthers with 2 loculi fertile; loculi strongly divergent.
Mericarps 3-keeled.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 50 species, mainly from Eurasia, also northern Africa. Australia: 2 species (naturalized), Qld, N.S.W., Vic., S.A.
Text by B. J. Conn
Taxon concept:
Taxa not yet included in identification key
Lamium amplexicaule,
Lamium argentatum,
Lamium galeobdolon,
Lamium purpureum
|
