''Lamium amplexicaule'', commonly known as common henbit, or greater henbit, is a species of ''

Lamium ''Lamium'' (dead-nettles) is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, of which it is the type genus. They are all herbaceous plants native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa, but several have become very successf ...

'' native to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

and northern

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. It is a low-growing annual plant growing to tall, with soft, finely hairy stems. The leaves are opposite, rounded, diameter, with a lobed margin. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are pink to purple, long. The specific name refers to the amplexicaul leaves (leaves grasping the stem).

Description

Henbit is an annual herb with a sprawling habit and short, erect, squarish, lightly hairy stems. It grows to a height of about . The leaves are in opposite pairs, often with long internodes. The lower leaves are stalked and the upper ones stalkless, often fused, and clasping the stems. The blades are hairy and kidney-shaped, with rounded teeth. The flowers are relatively large and form a few-flowered terminal spike with axillary whorls. The calyx is regular with five lobes and closes up after flowering. The corolla is purplish-red, fused into a tube long. The upper lip is convex, long and the lower lip has three lobes, two small side ones and a larger central one long. There are four stamens, two long and two short. The

gynoecium Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils' ...

has two fused carpels and the fruit is a four-chambered

schizocarp A schizocarp is a dry fruit that, when mature, splits up into mericarps. There are different definitions: * Any dry fruit composed of multiple carpels that separate. : Under this definition the mericarps can contain one or more seeds (the m ...

. This plant flowers very early in the spring even in northern areas, and for most of the winter and the early spring in warmer locations such as the

Mediterranean region In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and wa ...

. At times of year when there are not many pollinating insects, the flowers self-pollinate.

Distribution and habitat

Henbit dead-nettle is probably native to the Mediterranean region but has since spread around the world. It is found growing in open areas, gardens, fields and meadows. It propagates freely by

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

, where it becomes a key part of a meadow ecosystem, Sometimes entire fields will be reddish-purple with its flowers before spring ploughing. Where common, it is an important nectar and pollen plant for bees, especially

honeybee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cosm ...

s, where it helps start the spring build up. It is widely

naturalised Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the i ...

in eastern North America and elsewhere. However, its attractive appearance, edibility, and readiness to grow in many climates often mean it is permitted to grow when other weeds are not. This plant, though common, is not regarded as a threat to local ecosystems. It plays an arguably beneficial role in its environment by providing nectar to pollinators and providing forage for animals. The seed is also eaten by many species of birds.

Uses

The young leaves and shoots can be eaten raw or cooked, as can the stems and flowers. Henbit has a slightly sweet and peppery flavor, similar to celery.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment

USDA Plants Profile
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q159008 amplexicaule Edible plants Flora of North Africa Flora of Asia Flora of Europe Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus