American Lopseed

Not a very common plant in the hills of Kashmir and Murree, grows in damp shady places and woods from 1000 to 2300 in.

Erect perennial herb with somewhat fleshy brownish root. Stem and branches quadrangular, articulated, lower portion puberulous-pilose, upper portion pilose especially at nodes. Leaves oval to elliptic ovate, coarsely serrate, acuminate, lower leaves abruptly narrowed at base with .1-3.5 cm long petiole and upper one: with 2-4 mm long petiole, lamina 3-10 cm long 1.5-5 cm broad, pilose hispid, 5-7 nerved. Inflorescence axillary and terminal spikes, 15-35 cm long, floral axis hispid. Flowers more commonly alternate, rarely opposite, sessile to sub-sessile. Bract linear minute¬ly hispid at the margin, 2-3 mm long, bracteoles minute. Calyx tubular, tube c. 4-5 mm long, sparcely hispid prominently 5 veined, bilabiate, the posterior 3 lobes subulate and hooked at the apex, c. 2 mm long, lower 2 short. Corolla bilabiate, 5-7 mm long, lower lip larger and spreading 3 fid, upper shortly bilobed, lobes rounded. Stamens inserted above the middle of the corolla tube, slightly excluded in fully opened flower; larger filament 1.5-2 mm long, shorter c. 1 mm long. Ovary oblong, less than 2 mm long; style 1, terminal, c. 2 mm long. Fruit enclosed by the per¬sistent deflexed calyx, c. 5 mm long, oblong, 5 nerved.

Distribution: North America, Canada, Japan, Nepal, India. and West Pakistan.

Fl. Per. May-July.