Lamium orvala

Giant dead nettle ( Lamium orvala )

The giant dead nettle ( Lamium orvala ), also Great nettle or nettle King, is a member of the genus deadnettles ( Lamium ).

Features

The giant dead nettle is a perennial, herbaceous plant that reaches the plant height of 40 to 100 cm. It has a short, branched rhizome and does not form spurs. The whole plant is hairy hairless or sparsely.

The stem leaves have a petiole up to 10 cm long and 5-15 cm (rarely to 12) long and 3-9 cm wide leaf blade. It is heart-shaped, the leaf margin is serrated irregular sharp.

The flowers are available in two to four Scheinquirlen that are apart from each other. Each Scheinquirl has 6 to 14 flowers. The calyx is 12-20 mm long. The crown is 25 to 35, rarely up to 40 mm long and dirty to ruby color, rarely white. The corolla tube is extended bulbous front. Inside it has a slanted hair ring. The upper lip is 15 to 20 mm long and is serrated front irregularly. On the outside it is white haired shaggy. The side lobes are short and triangular. The lower lip is 15 to 20 mm long and also serrated irregular. The anthers are bald. Flowering period is April to June. Pollination is by bumblebees and other Apoidea. The nectar is protected by the hair ring, the so-called juice ceiling in front of other animals. The stylus is longer than the stamens, this promotes cross-pollination.

The partial fruits are about 2.5 mm long.

The chromosome number is 2n = 18

Dissemination

The giant dead nettle is südostalpisch - Illyrian common. In Austria it reaches its northern border area and is found in the south of Styria and Carinthia, East Tyrol and South Tyrol. In Salzburg, where they occurred at Pass Lueg, it became extinct.

It grows in ravine forests, Hochstaudenfluren and stream edges of hill and montane zone.

Use

The giant dead nettle is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental plant.

Documents

• Siegmund Seybold (ed.): Schmeil Fitschen - interactive ( CD -Rom ), Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2001/2002, ISBN 3-494-01327-6
• M. A. Fischer, K. Oswald, W. Adler: Exkursionsflora for Austria, Liechtenstein and South Tyrol. Third Edition, Upper Austria, Biology Centre of the Upper Austrian Provincial Museum, Linz 2008, ISBN 978-3-85474-187-9