A European plant often cultivated here as a ground cover, but
increasingly escaping into the wild. This plant was growing deep in the
woods in Fox Chapel, on a hillside overlooking the Squaw Run, far from any
cultivated planting. It is also commonly placed in the genus Lamiastrum,
or “False Lamium.” So it is classified in the USDA PLANTS database, which
records it as found in the wild in Pennsylvania. This particular plant,
which shows the variegated leaves often found in cultivated varieties, was
blooming in early May.
Gray describes the genus Lamium thus:
LAMIUM L. DEAD NETTLE. Calyx tubular-bell-shaped, about 5-nerved, with 5
nearly equal awl-pointed teeth. Corolla dilated at the throat; upper lip
ovate or oblong, arched, narrowed at the base; the middle lobe of the
spreading lower lip broad, notched at the apex, contracted as if stalked
at the base; the lateral ones small, at the margin of the throat.
Decumbent herbs, the lowest leaves small and long-petioled, the middle
heart-shaped and doubly toothed, the floral subtending the whorled
flower-cluster. (Name from lamos, throat, in allusion to the
ringent corolla.)
This species is not described in the standard American botanical
references, so we borrow a very thorough description from English
Botany by James Sowerby.
LAMIUM GALEOBDOLON. Crantz.
Galeobdolon luteum, Ends. Sm. Engl. Bot. ed. i. No. 787. Koch,
Syn. Fl. Germ. et Helv. ed. ii. p. 650. Galeopsis Galeobdolon,
Linn. Sp. Pl. p. 810.
Perennial. Rootstock tufted or very shortly creeping. Barren shoots very
long, trailing or arching, at length rooting. Flowering stems not rooting
at the base, erect or ascending. Leaves stalked, ovate or deltoid-ovate,
subcordate, slightly acuminate, acute, doubly or irregularly
crenate-serrate. Verticillasters remote from each other. Lower bracts
similar to the leaves, but narrower, and with shorter stalks; upper ones
generally lanceolate, with a wedge-shaped base, more rarely similar to the
lower ones. Calyx puberulent or sparingly bristly-hairy; teeth deltoid,
abruptly acuminated into triangular points, sparingly ciliated or
glabrous, and subspinous at the apex, spreading, not half the length of
the tube; tube slightly curved and oblique at the mouth. Corolla tube
rather longer than the calyx, with a conspicuous very oblique ring of
hairs within, slightly curved upwards, without a projecting sac near the
base on the lower side, suddenly enlarged towards the apex; upper hp
greatly vaulted, obtuse, sparingly hairy; lower lip with the lateral lobes
ovate-acuminate, the middle lobe a little larger, oblong, acuminated into
a lanceolate point.
In woods and on hedge-banks, particularly on chalk and limestone
formations. Local, but not uncommon in the south of England; rare in the
north, where it extends north to Lancashire and Yorkshire. It has occurred
in Scotland, but is scarcely deserving to be considered even as a
naturalised plant. Rare, and very local in Ireland, where it is nearly
confined to the east of the island.
England, [Scotland,] Ireland. Perennial. Spring, early Summer.
Rootstock many-headed, emitting numerous wiry radical fibres and producing
flowering and barren stems, the latter in autumn attaining the length of 1
or 2 feet, and growing much in the same way as those of Vinca major.
Flowering stems 9 inches to 2 feet high, more or less flexuous towards the
base. Lamina of the leaves 1 to 2½ inches long. Verticillasters 6 to 10
flowered. Bracts 1½ to 3 inches long, the upper ones sometimes very
narrow. Calyx yellowish-green. Corolla ¾ to 1 inch long, yellow, the lower
lip bright yellow, with reddish-brown s pots and streaks; upper lip
considerably more than half the length of the corolla; tube very short.
Anthers destitute of the hairs which occur in all the other British
species. Nucules generally abortive: at least I have never been able to
find them mature. Plant light green, more or less thickly pubescent with
rather stiff hairs, those on the stem deflexed.
The British plant has the upper bracts usually narrow, and is the Galeobdolon
montanum of Reichenbach. Occasionally, however, I have seen the
bracts all broad and similar to the leaves (G. luteum, Reich.),
but the two forms certainly do not deserve to be called even varieties.
Yellow Archangel.
French, Lamier jaune. German, Goldnessel.