H2 COMMON WEEDS 



Corn Woundwort (Stachys arvensis L.) is not commonly 

 harmful, but is an annual found in cornfields and arable 

 land, and it may occur too plentifully. It is 6 to 1 8 

 inches high, branched from the base, somewhat hairy, 

 with small, nearly heart-shaped leaves under i inch long, 

 the lower ones being stalked and the upper ones sessile, 

 and small, pale pink flowers, four to six in a whorl, in 

 terminal spikes. Flowering continues through a long 

 period, April to November, and this necessitates atten- 

 tion for some months when the weed is plentiful. 

 Surface cultivation in spring and early summer, hand 

 pulling later in corn crops, and thorough hoeing of 

 root crops should be all that is necessary to cope with 

 this weed. 



Hemp Nettle (Galeopsis Tetrahit L.) is sometimes 

 plentiful in arable land, chiefly in cornfields, on sandy, 

 calcareous, and loamy soils. It is an annual herb, i to 

 3 feet high, stout and hairy, especially at the nodes, 

 which are thickened. The stem is square, the leaves 

 i to 4 inches long, ovate-lanceolate and coarsely 

 toothed, and on longish stalks ; the tubular, lipped 

 flowers are about i inch long, and usually rosy-purple 

 and white, but variable. The flowers open between 

 July and September. Closely allied to this species is 

 G. versicolor Curt., with yellow flowers having a purple 

 spot on the lower lip. 



Red Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum L.) occurs on 

 all soils on cultivated ground. It is 6 to 1 8 inches high, 

 with a square, often purplish stem, decumbent below 

 and branched from the base ; the leaves are stalked 

 and more or less heart-shaped ; and the flowers, which 

 may be found from April to October, are about \ inch 

 long, purple in colour, in crowded whorls at the 

 top of the stem. Like the previous species, it is an 

 annual. 



