Name: Dead-nettles
Scientific name: Lamium garganicum ssp. striatum – (Sm). Hayek
Family: Labiatae
© Σάββας Τρύφωνος – Γεφύρι Τζιελεφού (29 Μαρτίου 2012)
Description
Perennial up to 0.5m tall with square shoots of light red or purple color. Leaves ovoid-cardioid, hairy, toothed. Arrangement of flowers by vertebrae. White-pink flowers with reddish streaks, hairy. It blooms from February to April.
Habitat
It is found in limestone crevices, in wet walls, near streams and rocky slopes at an altitude of 600-1000m and is a rare plant.
Name – Spread
The name Lamium comes from the word Lamia because of its open mouth-like flower. (In Greek mythology, Lamia was a beautiful queen from Libya but transformed into a monster and devoured young children). According to Aristophanes, the name Lamia comes from the Greek word “laimos” (lamia) due to the habit of devouring the children of others. It was named Garganicum after Mount Garganico in southern Italy. Due to the streaks of the flower it was named striatum.
It is found in Southern Europe from southern France and to the east as far as Turkey, Crete and Cyprus.
Sources:
Βιβλίο «Αγριολούλουδα και άλλα φυτά της Κυπριακής γης» Υπουργείο Γεωργίας , Φυσικών Πόρων και Περιβάλλοντος – Τμήμα Δασών
http://www.cretanflora.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org
Image source:
© Σάββας Τρύφωνος – [email protected]