ARABLE PLANT CRIB Mints, Dead-Nettles, Hemp-Nettles and Woundworts

ARABLE PLANT CRIB Mints, dead-nettles, hemp-nettles and woundworts

Flow chart to help identify different members of the plant family (adapted from The Wild Flower Key by F. Rose)

Corolla-lobes 4, ± equal – Corolla with well-developed Corolla with 2 unequal lobes, corolla 5 mm wide or less OR lower lip, upper lip absent or OR lobed or toothed lips composed of 2 tiny teeth

Stamens 4 – leaves shallowly toothed, strongly mint-scented Corolla with a single Corolla with 3-lobed Calyx 2-lipped Calyx ± equally 5-lobed lower lip – lower lip – corolla with lips toothed 5-toothed, not Mints corolla tube hairless tube with ring of hairs clearly 2-lipped (Mentha) inside, with no teeth inside and 2 small at top teeth at top Calamint (Calamintha) Germanders Ground-pine (Teucrium) (Ajuga)

Upper corolla-lip Upper corolla-lip flat – 2 arched or hooded – outer stamens shorter two outer stamens than inner 2 – leaves longer than inner white woolly below, two stamens green and downy above – flowers white with purple spots

Cat-mint Lower corolla-lip Lower corolla-lip (Nepeta) at most notched forked at tip - side at tip – side lobes lobes tiny, ± reduced well developed, to teeth or flaps spreading

Dead-nettles (Lamium) Calyx teeth forming Calyx teeth long long spines (5-7 mm) pointed (3-4 mm), – corolla with conical but not spine-like – bosses (projections) at corolla without bosses/ base of lower lip projections Names of identifing features

Upper Hemp-nettles Woundworts corolla-lip / lobe (Galeopsis) (Stachys) Corolla

Stamen Tooth

Side lobes Calyx

Lower corolla lip / lobe

Illustrations by evansgraphic.co.uk ©Plantlife ARABLE PLANT CRIB / Mints, dead-nettles, hemp-nettles and woundworts

Plant Corn mint Cat-mint Common Calamint

Species Mentha arvensis Nepeta cataria Calamintha ascendens

Size 10-30 cm Up to 20 cm 30-60 cm

Stem Downy Grey-downy stems Tufted and hairy

Smell Peppery-mint Minty Mint-scented

Leaves The leaves have stalks (petioles) Oval-cordate leaves with coarse- Leaves are 2-4 cm long with 1 cm and are rounded-elliptical teeth. The leaves are stalked stalks. They are oval in outline with blunt ends. and coloured, grey woolly with a blunt end and truncate 2-6 cm long x 1-2 cm wide underneath and downy green bases. There are adpressed above. 3-7 cm in length hairs. The edge of the leaves have teeth

Flowers Dense whorls in leaf axils. Oblong head of dense whorls Loose whorls in leaf axils forming a long spike Small – approx. 7 mm in length Small – approx 12 mm in length Medium – approx 15 mm in length

Calyx Bell-shaped, very hairy, short Downy, tubular, 5 straight teeth 6-8 mm long, straight, 5-toothed, and blunt triangular teeth teeth with long hairs

Petals Mauve with projecting stamens Corolla 12 mm, two-lipped, tube Corolla 10-15 mm long, pinkish curved, white with purple spots white with small purple dots on lower lip

Flowering May-Oct July-Sept July-Sept period

15mm

12mm

7mm

Illustrations by evansgraphic.co.uk ©Plantlife ARABLE PLANT CRIB / Mints, dead-nettles, hemp-nettles and woundworts

Plant Common hemp-nettle Bifid hemp-nettle Red hemp-nettle

Species Galeopsis tetrahit Galeopsis bifida Galeopsis angustifolia

Size 10-80 cm 10-80 cm 10-60 cm

Stem Joints swollen, stem branched Joints swollen, stem branched Joints not swollen , stems downy and bristly with sticky hairs and bristly with sticky hairs

Leaves Oval in shape narrowing to the Oval in shape narrowing to the Narrow-lanceolate (spear- stalk and coarse-toothed. stalk and coarse-toothed. shaped) green leaves that are 2.5-10 cm in length 2.5-10 cm in length downy with a few small teeth. 1.5-8 cm in length

Flowers Relatively loose whorls Relatively loose whorls Relatively loose whorls

Medium – 10-20 mm in length Medium – 10-20 mm in length Large – 8-13 mm in length

Calyx Bristly with long teeth, Bristly with long teeth, Hairy and tubular. sepals 12-14 mm sepals 12-14 mm Sepals 14-25 mm

Medium – 13-20 mm in length Relatively loose whorls 6-8 mm long, straight, 5-toothed, teeth with long hairs

Petals 13-20 mm long, pink or white 13-16 mm long, pink or white 1.5-2.5 cm long, rosy purple with purple markings on lower with darker markings on lower with usually 4 white spots on lip reaching half way to lip edge. lip reaching close to lip edge. bottom lip tube on projections The flower tube is as long as the The flower tube is as long as the (bumps). The flower tube is much calyx teeth. The lower petal lobe calyx teeth. The lower petal end longer than the calyx giving is not notched lobe is curved making it appear the appearance of the flower to be notched projecting

Flowering July-Sept July-Aug June-Oct period

12mm 12mm 20mm

Illustrations by evansgraphic.co.uk ©Plantlife ARABLE PLANT CRIB / Mints, dead-nettles, hemp-nettles and woundworts

Plant Large-flowered hemp-nettle Downy hemp-nettle

Species Galeopsis speciosa Galeopsis segetum

Size 10-80 cm 10-50 cm

Stem Stout and bristly Joints not swollen. The stem is hairy and the hairs point backwards, towards the ground

Leaves Oval leaves that are pointed. Lanceolate to ovate, hairs 2.5-10 cm in length adpressed on top surface giving the leaves a velvety texture. 1.5-8 cm in length

Flowers Relatively loose whorls Relatively loose whorls

Very large – approx. Large – approx. 25 mm in length 30 mm in length

Calyx Bristly with long teeth. Bristly, sepals 7-10 mm Sepals 12-17 mm

Petals Corollas 30 mm long, pale yellow Corolla 25-30 mm, sulphur- with large violet blotches on yellow with a brighter yellow lower lip. The flower tube is tongue. The flower tube is four twice the length of calyx giving times as long as the calyx giving the appearance of the flower the appearance of the flower projecting projecting

Flowering June-Aug July-Sept period

25 mm 30 mm

Illustrations by evansgraphic.co.uk ©Plantlife ARABLE PLANT CRIB / Mints, dead-nettles, hemp-nettles and woundworts

Plant Hedge woundwort Field woundwort

Species Stachys sylvatica Stachys arvensis

Size 30-80 cm Up to 20 cm

Stem Patch-forming growth, harshly No glandular hairs hairy (pubescent). Glandular hairs present at top of plant

Smell Unpleasantly pungent Unpleasantly pungent

Leaves Oval-cordate leaves 4-9 cm in Oval and blunt-ended leaves length. The leaf stalks (petioles) with teeth around the edge. are 1.5-7 cm long 1.5-3 cm in length

Flowers Inflorescence is a loose spike at Few-flowered whorls the tip of the plant Small – approx. 7 mm in length Medium – 12-15+ mm in length

Calyx Rigid triangular teeth Sepal teeth long

Petals Beetroot red with white pattern 6-7 mm long corollas, pale pink on lip. Corollas 13-18 mm

Flowering July-Sept Apr-Nov period

15 mm 7 mm

Illustrations by evansgraphic.co.uk ©Plantlife ARABLE PLANT CRIB / Mints, dead-nettles, hemp-nettles and woundworts

Plant Cut-leaved germander Groundpine

Species Teucrium botrys Ajuga chamaepitys

Size 10-30 cm 5-20 cm

Stem Erect, softly hairy Hairy and branched from base, erect to decumbent

Smell Pineapple scented Pine resin

Leaves Leaves triangular in outline Leaves divided into three and deeply divided (pinnate) narrow, linear blunt lobes into lobed blunt segments. They are 1-2.5 cm in length

Flowers 2-6 flowered whorls up stem Two per whorl, shorter in leaf axils than leaves

Medium – 15-20 mm Small – up to 10 mm

Calyx Calyx tubular with 5 equal teeth Very short calyx with sharp teeth

Petals Corolla is bright pink with a long Yellow corollas with a long lower lower lip 8+ mm long from the lip 7-15 mm that is red dotted. edge of the calyx to the tip of the Very short upper lip petal. Very short upper lip

Flowering July-Sept May-Sept period

12 mm 10 mm

Plant Red dead-nettle Cut-leaved dead-nettle Northern dead-nettle

Species Lamium purpurea Lamium hybridum Lamium confertum

Size 10-30 cm 10-30 cm 5-25 cm

Stem Branched at base Slender Downy, branched from base. Stouter than henbit dead-nettle

Leaves Leaves and bracts 1-5 cm long. Bracts triangular-oval with Lower leaves are stalked. They are cordate-oval in outline truncate bases. Leaves are deeply Bracts are not clasping, with coarse-tooth. The teeth are toothed with many teeth greater Leaves are 1-4 cm in length less than 2 mm long than 2 mm long making the leaf look like it’s been cut

Flowers Dense inflorescence Dense inflorescent Relatively loose whorls

Small - 10-15 mm in length Small – 10-15 mm in length Medium – approx. 15 mm in length

Calyx Downy with teeth the same Downy with teeth the same Adpressed hairs. Sepals are long length as the tube spreading in length as the tube spreading in and thin tapering to a point, fruit fruit 8-12 mm in length

Petals Corolla 10-15 mm, pink-purple, Corolla 8-10mm, pink-purple, Corollas mostly 15 mm, pink- tube longer than calyx with ring few or no hairs inside purple of hairs inside

Flowering Mar-Oct Mar-Oct May-Sept period

12 mm 12 mm 15 mm

Plant Henbit dead-nettle White dead-nettle

Species Lamium amplexicaule Lamium album

Size 5-25 cm 20-60 cm

Stem Downy, branched from base Hairy

Leaves Lower stalked leaves 1-2.5 cm, Stalked, pointed oval leaves rounded with blunt tips and with coarse teeth that are truncate bases. Upper bracts nettle-shaped with cordate beneath the whorls of flowers bases. Leaves and bracts look like leaves and are paired 3-7 cm in length clasping stem

Flowers Relatively loose whorls Dense but well-spaced whorls

Medium – approx. 15 mm in Large – approx. 20 mm in length length

Calyx Calyx with dense spreading Calyx 9-15 mm long with long white hairs. Sepals 5-7 mm spreading sepals

Petals Corollas mostly 15 mm, pink- Corolla white with greenish purple, Some corolla tubes are streaks on lower lip, 18-25 mm long and others are shorter. long. Upper lip long and hairy. Corolla tube is hairless inside Tube curved in an arch and narrows suddenly near base

Flowering Apr-Aug May – Dec period

15 mm 20 mm