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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).

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