Lamium purpureum

Red Deadnettle
File:Lamium purpureum 280405.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Lamiaceae
Genus:	Lamium
Species:	L. purpureum
Binomial name
Lamium purpureum L.

Lamium purpureum, known as red deadnettle, purple deadnettle, purple archangel, or velikdenche, is a herbaceous flowering plant native to Europe and Asia.

It grows to 5–20 cm (rarely 30 cm) in height. The leaves have fine hairs, are green at the bottom and shade to purplish at the top; they are 2–4 cm long and broad, with a 1–2 cm petiole (leaf stalk), and wavy to serrated margins.

The zygomorphic flowers are bright red-purple, with a top hood-like petal, two lower lip petal lobes and minute fang-like lobes between.They may be produced throughout the year, including mild weather in winter. This allows bees to gather its nectar for food when few other nectar sources are available. It is also a prominent source of pollen for bees in March/April (in UK), when bees need the pollen as protein to build up their nest.

It is often found alongside Henbit Deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule), which is easily mistaken for it since they both have similar looking leaves and similar bright purple flowers; they can be distinguished by the stalked leaves of Red Deadnettle on the flower stem, compared to the unstalked leaves of Henbit Deadnettle.

Though superficially similar to species of Urtica (true nettles) in appearance, it is not related and does not sting, hence the name "deadnettle".

Outside of its native range, it is a common weed of cultivated areas; it is listed as an invasive species in some parts of North America.

Young plants have edible tops and leaves, used in salads or in stirfry as a spring vegetable. If finely chopped it can also be used in sauces.

Undyed, the pollen itself is a red colour.

Biochemistry

The essential oil is characterized by its high contents of germacrene D. The seed oil contains 16% of an acid characterized as (−)-octadeca-5,6-trans-16-trienoic acid (trivial name `lamenallenic acid'). Other unsaturated esters identified by their cleavage products are oleate, linoleate and linolenate.

The plant contains phenylethanoid glycosides named lamiusides A, B, C, D and E. It possesses a flavonol 3-O-glucoside-6″-O-malonyltransferase.

Pictures

• Illustration Lamium purpureum0.jpg

  Lamium purpureum, Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885

• Red Dead nettle close 700.jpg

  L. purpureum
  Essex, England,
  United Kingdom

• Lamium purpureum in the spring2.jpg

  L. purpureum
  Vancouver Island,
  British Columbia, Canada

• Hoja SVG (Lamium purpureum).svg

  Leaf

External links

• Jepson Manual Treatment
• USDA Plants Profile
• Photo gallery
• Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland information for Lamium purpureum L.