Henbit
Common Name: Henbit
Other Names: Henbit Deadnettle
Species Name: Lamium amplexicaule L.
Plant Type: Broadleafs/Herbaceous
Family Name: Lamiaceae
Examples of Henbit Lamium amplexicaule L.
| Plant Facts | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Introduced, Europe |
| Duration | Annual or biennial |
| Season | Cool |
| Distribution in the U.S. | United States; scattered in the Great Plains (NE, SD, ND, KS, OK, TX, IA, MO, AB, SK, MB) |
| Distribution in Oklahoma | Throughout the state |
ID Characteristics
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Field Identification Characteristics
- Flowers: Purple to pink corolla, tubular (1-2 centimeters long) lobes 2, upper lobe one third as long as the tube; calyx tubular (5-7.5 millimeters long), teeth 5, densely pubescent.
- Inflorescence: Verticillasters, flowers 3-6 per cymule; bracts sessile, clasping, usually wider than long.
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Leaf and Stem Characteristics
- Leaf Type: Simple
- Leaf Arrangement: Opposite
- Leaf Shape: Oribicular to broadly ovate (5-18 millimeters long, usually as wide as long) margine crenate and lobed, surfaces variously pubescent, venation palmate; lower bloades petiolate, upper blades sessile and clasping; often purplish in color
- Stems: Decumbent with ascending branches, 4-angled, branches frequently rooting at the nodes, often purple-streaked.
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Floral Characteristics
- Petal Number: 4
- Flower Color: Purple to pink
- Flower Timing: March-May
- Fruit Type: Schizocarp of 4 nutlets; nutlets obovate-oblong (1.5-2.5 millimeters long), 3-angled, tip blunt, tan to grayish-brown or olive green; seeds 1 per nutlet
| Habitat/Ecology | |
|---|---|
| Soil Type | Prefers moist fertile soil but is adapted to dry areas |
| Habitat | In lawns, gardens, waste places, roadsides and cultivated fields |
| Successional Stage |