LABIATE. 73 



cence forms a flattened pyramid. Corolla f inch long, dull rose, rarely 

 white, with the ring of hairs more conspicuous than in any of the 

 previous species, and the lateral lobes of the lower lip with a subulate 

 tooth, wliich is rarely absent. Nucules similar to those of L. incisum. 

 Plant green, frequently tmgcd with purple, thinly hairy, with the stem 

 subglabrous, as in the preceding forms. 



The common form of this plant is readily distinguishable from 

 L. incisum by its faintly crenate bracts, not at all wedge-shaped at 

 the base, but the var. decipiens is very likely to be mistaken for it. 

 The corolla, however, is mucli longer, and with a distinct internal ring 

 of hairs in the variety as well as in the typical plant. This ring is 

 merely rudimentary in L. incisum. 



It is quite possible that L. intei'medium, incisum, and purpm'eum 

 ought to be considered merely as sub-species, but I have not put them 

 in this form, because L. intermedium appears to have forms which, at 

 least as dried specimens, are scai'cely distinguishable from L. amplexi- 

 caule, and to consider L. amplexicaule and L. purpureum as constitu- 

 ting extreme forms of a single super-species is impossible without 

 disturbing all existing ideas of a species even as understood by 

 the class of botanists who use the term in its most comprehensive 

 sense. 



Red Dead Nettle. 



French, Lainier pourpre. German, Purpurrothe Taubnessel. 



SPECIES v.— LAMIUM MACULATUM. Lhm. 



Plate MLXXXV. 



Itei'cJi. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XVIII. Tab. MCCV. Figs. 2. and 3. 



BHIof, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 435. 



L. rugosum, Ait. Hort. Kew. Vol. II. p. 296. 



L. rubrum, Wallr. Sclied. Grit. p. 300. 



L. birsutum, Lam. Diet. p. 410. 



L. album, var. /3, poU. Eook. & Am. Brit. Fl. ed. viii. p. 332. 



Perennial. Rootstock passing insensibly into the stem. Barren 

 shoots short, erect. Stems much branched, a large portion at the 

 base decumbent and rooting ; the flowering part ascending or erect. 

 Leaves stalked, ovate or deltoid-ovate, cordate, slightly acuminate, 

 acute or subacute, irregulai'ly crenate-serrate or crenate. Yerticil- 

 lasters (or at least the lower ones) remote from each other. Bracts 

 all quite similar to the leaves, but the uppermost ones subsessile, 

 smaller, narrower, and more acuminate. Calyx sparingly hairy 

 or nearly glabrous; teeth triangulate-subulate, spreaduig, sparingly 

 cihated, scarcely longer tlian the tube; tube slightly curved down- 

 wards, oblique at the mouth. Corolla tube much longer than the 

 calyx-teeth, with a very conspicuous transverse ring of hairs Avithin, 



VOL. VII. L 



