Stachys annua

Scientific Name	Stachys annua L.
Common Names	English: Annual hedgenettle, betony, Annual Woundwort; German: Einjähriger Ziest; French: Épiaire annuelle; Spanish: Hierba de la faridura
Description	Annual herbaceous plant, finely pubescent, height 10-40 cm (3.93 - 15.74 inch).

Characteristic Features

Corolla 5-lobed with the top lobe forming a 'hood'.

Young Plant

Leaves entire, elliptic or ovate, regularly dentate.

Cotyledons

Elongate, spoon-shaped.

Stems

Erect, branched.

Leaves

Glabrescent, oblong -lanceolate, crenulate -dentate, tapered into a petiole. Floral leaves acute apex.

Flowers

White-yellowish, 3-6 in distant whorls.
Very small bracteoles.
Calyx hairy, tubular-campanulate, with teeth arcuate, lanceolate awl -like with a shortly ciliate point, teeth 1/2 time shorter than the tube.
Corolla 1 time longer than the calyx. Calyx has a prominent tube with a transversal ring of hairs.

Flowering Period

June to August.

Fruit

Achenes circa 2 mm (0.078 inch) long, brown-black, finely spotted.

Viability of Seeds

More than 60 years.

Propagation

By seeds. Main germination period is in spring.

Habitat

Wastelands, grasslands and woodland edges.

Soil

Any damp soil in full sun or in light shade.

Agricultural Importance

S. annua can become a troublesome weed in damp turfs. It also is a potential seed contaminant.

Useful non-chemical contribution to Integrated Weed Management

Seed cleaning and preventing seed rain.