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Henbit's vertically-oriented flowers occur in clusters of 4-10 at the top of stems. They are tubular, 1/2-3/4" long, initially narrow at the short, five-lobed green calyx, but broadening into a hood-like upper lip that is densely covered with short hairs and a drooping lower lip that broadens into two lobes. The stamens are attached to the base of the lower lip but have long filaments so that the purplish anthers are positioned just under the upper lip; the style is white, about 3/4" long, with a two-lobed stigma. The outer surfaces of the flower are purplish-pink to pink; the inner surfaces are white with purplish dots. The fruit is a cluster of four nutlets, each containing a single seed.

Lamium

Lamium amplexicaule

henbit [Blooms: Apr-May]

Purple dead-nettle's whorls of flowers occur in the leaf axils and at the tip of the stem. Flowers are about 1/2" long with a short, five-lobed green calyx and a tubular, purplish pink to white corolla with an upper and lower lip; the lower lip is divided into two lobes, often white with purple spots. There are four short stamens with brown anthers positioned beneath the upper lip and a single style with a two-lobed stigma. The closely-related henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) has much longer tubular flowers and leaves that are sessile or clasp the stem rather than being borne on petioles. The "dead-nettle" name comes from a resemblance of the leaves to some nettles, but the lack of stinging hairs (thus, a dead nettle).

Lamium

Lamium purpureum

purple dead-nettle [Blooms: Apr-?]