''Leonurus sibiricus'', commonly called honeyweed or Siberian motherwort, is an herbaceous plant species native to China, Mongolia, and Siberia. It has
verticillaster inflorescence. It is naturalized in many other parts of the world, including South, Central and North Americas.
Description
''Leonurus sibiricus'' is an herbaceous
annual or
biennial
Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years.
In particular, it can refer to:
* Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and t ...
with upright stems that grow from tall. Plants have long petioled basal leaves that are ovate-cordate in shape. The leaves have toothed margins and are incised with deeply cut lobes. Typically one or a few flowering stems are produced from short tap-roots. The lower stem leaves are
deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
and wither away as the plants begin blooming. The
petioles of the leaves, midway up the stems are long. The flowers are produced in many flowered verticillasters, produced in
whorls around the top half or more of the stem. The flowers are
sessile with long
calices that are tubular-campanulate in shape. The
corolla is white or reddish to purple-red, with an upper lip that is oblong in shape and longer than the lower lip. When flowering is done, brown oblong shaped
nutlet
A nut is a fruit consisting of a hard or tough nutshell protecting a kernel which is usually edible. In general usage and in a culinary sense, many dry seeds are called nuts, but in a botanical context, "nut" implies that the shell does not open ...
s are produced in good number. Blooming occurs from July into late September, but flowering can occur year-round when climate permits.
This species' habitat within its natural range is stony or sandy grasslands or pine forests.
Alkaloids
Alkaloid
Alkaloids are a broad class of natural product, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Some synthetic compounds of similar structure may also be termed alkaloids.
Alkaloids are produced by a large varie ...
s isolated from the plant include:
*
Cycloleonurinine
*
Leoheterin
*
Leonurine
*
Leonurinine
*
Leuronurine
*
Prehispanolone
*
Preleoheterin
*
Stachydrine
References
External links
plants.usda.gov
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1788423
Lamiaceae
Flora of China
Flora of Mongolia
Flora of Siberia
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus