Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Stachys arvensis
Common name
Stagger weed
Family
Lamiaceae
Where found
Irrigated crops, roadsides, and disturbed sites. Mainly coastal, particularly in the Sydney area. Rarely elsewhere.
Notes
Introduced annual herb to 0.35 m high. Stems square in cross section, densely hairy, sometimes sticky. Leaves with an unpleasant strong mint-like odour when rubbed, opposite each other, 1–4 cm long, 8–32 mm wide, surfaces with scattered soft spreading hairs, tips somewhat pointed; bases often cordate; margins toothed to scalloped. Flowers white or pale pink to pale purple; 5–7 mm long; tubular, 2-lipped, the lower lip 3-lobed; the upper lip hooded. Calyx often purplish. Flowers in 2-6-flowered whorls, forming a leafy interrupted spike. Flowers mainly May–Nov.
PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Stachys~arvensis (accessed 7 February, 2021)
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