Lamium purpureum, commonly known as the red dead-nettle, among other names, is an annual herbaceous flowering plant. Native to Eurasia, it can also be found in North America, and frequently occurs in meadows, forest edges, roadsides and gardens. It grows with square stems to 5 to 20 centimetres (2 to 8 inches) in height, and occasionally up to 40 centimetres (16 inches). The leaves have fine hairs, are green at the bottom and shade to purplish at the top, while the zygomorphic flowers are bright reddish purple. The pollen is crimson red in colour and thus very noticeable on the heads of the bees that visit its flowers. The plant contains various oils and is characterized by its high contents of germacrene D. Young plants have edible tops and leaves, which are used in salads or stir fries as a spring vegetable. The plant has also been used for many years in folk medicine and herbal remedies. This L. purpureuminflorescence was photographed in Tutermaa, Estonia. The picture was focus-stacked from 101 separate images.Photograph credit: Ivar Leidus
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