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 Leaves Paul Rothrock @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) |  Plant Paul Rothrock @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) | | | | |
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Origin:
Native
Life Cycle:
Perennial Similar Species: Teucrium canadense var. canadense
General Desc:
Colony-forming plant with erect, squarish stems branched near the flower spikes. Sharply pointed narrow leaves and have a distinctive web-like vein pattern. A spikey cluster of pink to purplish or white lip-like flowers grows at the top of downy stems.
Identification notes: Rhizomatous; stems to 3 feet, branched near flower spikes of flowers; leaves have serrated margins, elliptic to lance-like, darker green above, narrow at base; herbage finely hairy; flowers several per node, upper lip very short, white, pink to purplish.
Height:
To about 3 feet
Habitat Description: Found in moist grasslands, at the edges of forests and marshes (waterlogged low-lying land), in thickets (dense groups of bushes or small trees), wet meadows, along streams, on wasteland, beside roadside ditches and railroad tracks.
Plant Communities:
Desert Scrub, Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands, Pinyon Juniper Woodland, Riparian, Disturbed Areas
Elevation: 2400 - 4500 feet
Color:
White, pink to purplish
Shape:
Irregular in elongated clusters
Tubular:
Y
Flowering Period:
May - Oct
Description:
Each flower is 3/4 inch long with 2 projections or "lips", a long purple-spotted lower lip and a very short upper lip that is divided into 2 pointed lobes. 3 or 4 purple-tipped stamens arch over the upper lip. Below each flower are 5 leaf-like sepals.
Leaf Color:
Green
Leaf Type:
Simple
Leaf Shape:
Narrow
Leaf Margin:
Toothed
Leaf Attachment:
Opposite
Leaves Clasp:
N
Hairs:
Leaves and stems
Spines:
N
Leaf Description:
Leaves are often lance-like but may be egg-shaped. Those on the the lower stalk have stems but on the upper stalk they are stem free. Leaves are deeply veined, jagged around the edges, often rounded at the base, to 5 inches long and 2-1/2 inches wide.
Fruit Color: Yellowish-brown
Fruit Type: Nutlet
Fruit Notes: Fruits are dry, 1/16 of an inch long and wide with scattered white hairs and rough indentations on their surface. The fruit consists of 4 1-seeded nutlets that are nearly fused together. The mature fruit does not split open to release the seed.
Seed Notes: Seeds are about 1/16 of an inch, roundish and have light brown color.
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