Species Fact Sheet - pdf
Species Fact Sheet - pdf
Species Fact Sheet - pdf
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Galeopsis angustifolia<br />
Status<br />
UK Biodiversity Action Plan Priority species.<br />
Nationally Scarce.<br />
IUCN threat category: Critically endangered (2005).<br />
Taxonomy<br />
Magnoliopsida: Lamiaceae<br />
Scientific name:<br />
Galeopsis angustifolia Ehrh. ex Hoffm.<br />
G. ladanum auct.<br />
Common names:<br />
Red Hemp-nettle, Penboeth Culddail<br />
Galeopsis is one of many genera which has flowers<br />
readily recognisable as typical members of the Deadnettle<br />
family (Lamiaceae or Labiatae) with their strongly<br />
2-lobed flowers, the upper lip being hooded and the<br />
lower lip forming a platform for bees to land on.<br />
Biology & Distribution<br />
It occurs as an arable weed, on waste ground, on open<br />
calcareous soils and scree, quarries, and on coastal sand<br />
and shingle. It was once common as a cornfield weed,<br />
but is declining markedly though still widespread in<br />
southern England and Wales, rarer in Scotland (Preston<br />
et al. 2002). In Wales it has only been seen recently in<br />
three localities on the south coast. Details of all records<br />
are held in the Threatened Plants Database (Lockton &<br />
Whild 2000).<br />
It is a spring-germinating annual which flowers from<br />
July to October which is susceptible to a range of<br />
herbicides (Wilson & King 2003).<br />
Identification & Field survey<br />
Galeopsis is distinguished by being annual plants with<br />
whorls of flowers, with four straight stamens included<br />
under the laterally compressed upper lip and the outer<br />
pair being longer than the inner pair, a strongly 3-lobed<br />
lower lip with two bosses or projections at the base, and<br />
a five-lobed, tubular calyx (Figure 1). The most similar<br />
genera are Lamium, which has only weakly toothed<br />
lower lips, and Stachys, which lacks bosses or projections<br />
at the base of the lower lip.<br />
Six species of Galeopsis have been recorded in Britain.<br />
Galeopsis angustifolia is relatively distinct and readily<br />
recognisable species with red flowers and narrow leaves.<br />
Galeopsis bifida, G. speciosa and G. tetrahit can be<br />
Outer stamens<br />
longer than<br />
inner stamens<br />
Boss<br />
Lower lip 3-lobed<br />
Calyx 5-lobed<br />
Upper lip<br />
Figure 1. Galeopsis angustifolia Detail of flower. Scale bar = 1 cm.<br />
Figure 2. Galeopsis angustifolia (from J. E. Smith & J. Sowerby<br />
(1852). English Botany. London).
immediately distinguished by having rigid, bristl hairs<br />
on the stems which are swollen immediately below each<br />
pair of leaves (with soft hairs and stem not swollen in G.<br />
angustifolia). Galeopsis segetum has pale yellow or whitish<br />
flowers and densely silky hairy leaves.<br />
Galeopsis angustifolia is very similar to the very<br />
rare alien G. ladanum, of which there are very few<br />
confirmed records and is probably also extinct. They<br />
can be distinguished as follows (Townsend 1962; Rich<br />
& Jermy 1998):<br />
G. angustifolia: Leaves broadly ovate to narrowly<br />
linear, though commonly lanceolate, margins<br />
entire to weakly toothed with 1-4 teeth on each<br />
side, sometimes strongly toothed (leaf shape and<br />
serration vary significantly). Calyx whitish or<br />
canescent (rarely sparse), hairs dull harsh white<br />
(lens) due to dense, crowded, coarse papillae<br />
(microscope × 400), if sparse then hairs short<br />
and appressed; tube often tinted brownish or<br />
purplish.<br />
G. ladanum: Leaves broadly ovate to lanceolate,<br />
sharply toothed with 3-7 prominent teeth on<br />
each side. Calyx green, hairs patent, glistening<br />
when fresh (lens), papillae sparse or absent; tube<br />
usually greenish.<br />
Two varieties of G. angustifolia can be recognised,<br />
though there are intermediates (Townsend 1962):<br />
Var. angustifolia: Tall or short, branched above or<br />
below, pubescent to nearly glabrous; calyx with<br />
appressed hairs, ± without glands. Widespread.<br />
Var. calcarea (Schönh.) C. E. Salmon: Rather short,<br />
branched almost from the base, canescent; calyx<br />
with dense patent, long white hairs, usually<br />
glandular around the inflorescence. Widespread<br />
on chalk in E and SE England.<br />
Key characters<br />
Annual, softly hairy, not swollen at the nodes. Leaves<br />
(broadly ovate-) lanceolate (-narrowly linear), margins<br />
entire to weakly toothed with 1-4 teeth on each side,<br />
sometimes strongly toothed. Calyx tubular with five<br />
± equal lobes, whitish or canescent with whitish hairs.<br />
Corolla c. 15-25 mm long, two-lipped, usually red or<br />
reddish purple, lower lip strongly 3-lobed with two<br />
bosses or projections at the base.<br />
References<br />
Lockton, A. J. & Whild, S. (2000). The status of Red<br />
Hemp-nettle, Galeopsis angustifolia Ehrh. ex<br />
Hoffm., in Britain. TPDB report, January 2000.<br />
Preston, C.D., Pearman, D. A. & Dines, T. D. eds.<br />
(2002). New Atlas of the British & Irish flora.<br />
Oxford University Press, Oxford.<br />
Rich, T. C. G. & Jermy, A. C., eds. (1998).<br />
Plant Crib 1998. BSBI, London.<br />
Stace, C. A. (1997). New flora of the British Isles. 2 nd<br />
edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.<br />
Townsend, C. C. (1962). Some notes on Galeopsis<br />
ladanum L. and G. angustifolia Ehrh. ex Hoffm.<br />
Watsonia 5: 143-149.<br />
Wilson, P. & King, M. (2003). Arable Plants - a field<br />
guide. WILDGuides Ltd, Old Basing.<br />
Additional photographs are available on the ARKive<br />
website (http://www.arkive.org/species).