Lamiaceae

Leonotis nepetifolia

Common Names: Lion’s tail

Plant Form: Upright annual herb. Size: Up to 3 m tall. Stem: Upright, relatively thick, square, sparsely branched, covered in fine white hairs. Leaves: Egg-shaped in opposite pairs with toothed edges up to 20 cm long. Larger towards base. Flowers: Orange and tubular in spherical clusters at intervals on stems. Fruit and Seeds: In hard, very spiky balls, 4-lobed capsule with 4 nutlets, 1 seed per nutlet. Habitat: Roadsides, wasteland, pastures, riverbanks, rangelands. Distinguishing Features: Distinguished from other Lion’s tails (Leonotis species) by wider leaves and smaller flowers. Impacts: Forms dense thickets, outcompetes native species, as well as rice and sugarcane.