Leonurus sibiricus L.

• Authority

  Britton, Nathaniel L. Flora Borinqueña.

• Family

  Lamiaceae

• Scientific Name

  Leonurus sibiricus L.

• Description

  Species Description - This tall, herbaceous weed, with small, purple, or red, densely clustered flowers, frequent in waste and cultivated grounds in Porto Rico, has very wide distribution in all tropical and warm temperate regions, in America introduced as far north as Pennsylvania and Bermuda; eastern Asia is supposed to be the original home of the species. The name Motherwort is sometimes used for it, but belongs, properly, to Leonurus Cardiaca. Leonurus (Greek, lion's- tall) consists of about 10 species of large herbs, natives of Europe and Asia. They have opposite, variously cleft or toothed leaves and small flowers in axillary clusters. The calyx is tubular or bell-shaped, 5-nerved, with 5, sharp teeth; the limb of the corolla is 2-lipped, the upper lip unlobed, the lower one 4-lobed; the stamens have 2-celled anthers; the ovary is 4-lobed, and the 2 style-branches are alike. The little fruits are smooth, 3-sided nutlets. Leonurus sibiricus (Siberian), is an upright herb, from 0.6 to nearly 2 meters high, finely hairy, or smooth. The thin, long-stalked, lower leaves about 7 centimeters long, or shorter, are 3-parted into narrow, pointed, cleft or incised segments; the upper leaves are much smaller and less divided, or merely toothed; the bell-shaped calyx is about 6 millimeters long; the red or purple, finely hairy corolla is from 8 to 12 millimeters long.

• Discussion

  Agripalma Lion's-tail Mint Family Leonurus sibiricus Linnaeus, Species Plantarurn 584. 1753.