148 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



species of Sfachys. The most familiar is StacJiys palustris 

 which is known as "all-heal", "clown's-heal", "clown's wound- 

 wort", and "marsh woundwort".- The name "rough-weed" 

 refers to the foliage while "hedge-nettle" is probably inspired 

 by a fancied likeness to the real nettle, though another name 

 "dead nettle" indicates that the difference is perceived. Stachys 

 hyssopifolia is the "hyssop hedge nettle". Stachys arvensis 

 is the "corn woundwort", or "field woundwort" from its habit 

 of growing in cultivated areas. 



There are still other dead nettles among which may be 

 noted the "hemp dead nettle" {Galeopsis tetrahit). This 

 plant is also known as "bee nettle", "dog nettle", "blind nettle", 

 "flowering nettle", "nettle hemp", and "false hemp". Nearly 

 all of these terms illustrate the tendency of the common people 

 to group plants of similiar appearance together. The adjec- . 

 fives false, dead, and blind, however, show very clearly that 

 they have not been deceived by appearances but have dis- 

 tinguished the plants to which they are applied from the true 

 stinging nettles (Urtica) and other less harmful kinds. 

 "Flowering nettle" is a pardonable mistake, for the flowers 

 of the true nettles have little resemblance to what are ordi- 

 narily regarded as flowers. The definition of such terms as 

 flower and weed of course depends somewhat upon who is do- 

 ing the describing. Galeopsis ladanum is the "red hemp net- 

 tle" and "dog nettle". This and the preceding species are also 

 known as "ironwort", for what reason I do not know. 



The list of dead nettles is not complete without three 

 species belonging to the genus Laniiiim. Upon Lamium al- 

 bum have been piled "white dead nettle", "dog nettle", "blind 

 nettle", "dumb nettle", and "bee nettle", besides "snake flow- 

 er", "suck-bottle" and "white archangel". It is very apparent 

 that a nettle that cannot sting is in common parlance, either 



