Henbit
Lamium amplexicaule
Observed along Sycamore Creek at 600 m elevation in the western foothills of the Mazatzal Mts., Maricopa County, April 2010 when few flowers had yet opened.
FLOWERS: The pink to lavender flowers are born in clusters at the stem terminus and leaf
axils where the opposite leaves are joined to form a cup. Bilaterally
symmetrical with distinct wing petals.
ANNUAL: In the Sonoran Desert this plant is normally a low-growing herb
appearing in spring and summer. The stems are square in cross section.
RANGE: This garden plant native to Eurasia can sometimes be found along
riparian zones as an escape from cultivation.
LEAVES: The fan-shaped leaves have prominent veins and sculpturing and
are in pairs, opposite on the stems.
FRUIT: Dry capsule has four triangular seeds.
UNARMED. Thornless.