The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Request for help.
In 'The Flora of Lincolnshire' Joan Gibbons has listed under Lamiastrum galeobdolon two sub species. These are the native British ssp montana and the extremely rare Continental ssp galeobdolon. Mary Smith found ssp L.g.galeobdolon in Burwell and Welton Woods in 1969 - these were accepted as the first British records of this ssp.
The population in Welton Wood - which I was shown by Mary Smith - is still present though always limited to a few flowers. It is flowering now.
My request for help is to anybody who can tell be how to differentiate between the two ssp. I cannot find this information anywhere.
If anybody would like to see the plants in Welton Wood over the next few weeks send me a private message to arrange a visit.

Hi Ed

You may find the following useful if not a little technical in places!

From Stace; New Flora of the British Isles

Spp. galeobdolon
Bracts 1-2x as long as wide, obtusely serrate; flowers ≤8(9) per node, at ≤4(5) nodes; flowering stems with hairs ± confined to 4 angles

Spp. montanum
Bracts 1.7-3.6x as long as wide, acutely serrate; flowers ≥ (7)10 per node, at ≥ (3)4 nodes; flowering stems with hairs on faces as well as angles

In addition galeobdolon rarely has leaves whitish bloched and has a less robust habit with less extensive stolons than montanum.

Regards

Grahame

Thanks alot to Brian Eke, Andrew Henderson and Grahame Hopwood who have referred me to Stace's New Flora. Brian Eke and Myself are going to have a 'good look' at the plants on sunday morning - it doesn't appear to be easy!!

Edmund