Agalinis aphylla (Nutt.) Raf.

Scale Leaf False Foxglove; Leafless False Foxglove

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Scale Leaf False Foxglove is a native herbaceous annual in the Broomrape family (Orobanchaceae). It can be found in the southern-most counties of Alabama. Scale Leaf False Foxglove occurs in Pitcher plant bogs, in wet pine savannah’s, and in low pinelands. It is an annual with a tap root. Stems are erect, to 2 feet in height, glabrous, angled, green or purplish in color, and branched near the top with the branches ascending. Leaves are basal and cauline. The basal leaves are absent at flowering. Basal leaves are oval or ovate in outline and glabrous. The stem leaves are absent or reduced to stiff appressed scales less than 3 mm in length. Flowers are produced in racemes. These are often reduced to a single flower that appears to be axillary. Flower pedicles have 1-several bracts. The calyx lobes are mucronate, less than 0.3 mm in length. The corolla is 5-lobed, pink-purple in color, with 2 yellow lines and numerous purple spots in the throat. The fruit is a capsule. Scale Leaf False Foxglove is hemiparasitic. Seedlings must establish a connection to the roots of grass plants for continued growth. It is listed as an S2 species in Alabama (typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state), and globally as a G3G4 species (imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors).—A. Diamond

**

Native FACW (NWPL) S2 (State Rank) G3G4 (Global Rank)

**