Species: Scrophularia lanceolata Pursh

comments | credits | copyright

Back to: Plants at Risk in Saskatchewan

Scrophularia lanceolata Pursh

Species Image Gallery
(opens in a new window)

TAXONOMY

Family:

Scrophulariaceae

Genus:

Scrophularia

Species Synonyms:

Scrophularia pectinata Raf.

Common Names:

lanceleaf figwort
hare figwort

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southern British Columbia, southern Saskatchewan, Ontario – Quebec – New Brunswick – Nova Scotia

Saskatchewan:

southern Saskatchewan; Mortlach – Webb

Ecoregion:

Mixed Grassland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

woods and clearings

Canada:

open woods, thickets, and clearings

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Endangered

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 SU

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Lanceleaf figwort is endangered because of extreme rarity in Saskatchewan. This species is regionally restricted in Saskatchewan but is usually locally numerous within limited areas. Possible threats have been identified for this species

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

50 – 200 cm

Stems:

perennial, clustered, square, somewhat glandular

Leaves:

on the stem, opposite, leaf stalk short, blade 2 – 15 cm long, 3 – 5 cm wide, oval to broadly lance-shaped, margin saw-toothed

Inflorescence:

branched, terminal, 4 – 8 cm long, narrow and elongate, glandular, flowers stalked

Flowers:

sepals 2 – 4 mm long, 5-lobed, lobes oval to rounded; petals 7 – 14 mm long, greenish-purple, tube rounded, upper two lobes fused, median lower lip deflexed; stamens 4; sterile stamen scale-like, yellowish-green

Fruits:

capsule 6 – 10 mm long, dull brown

SCROPHULARIACEAE KEY FOR GENERA FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Stamens 2	2
1 Stamens 4 or 5	3

2 Leaves alternate or all basal; petals absent	Besseya
2 Leaves opposite; petals present	4

3 Sepals 4-lobed; stamens exserted	Veronica
3 Sepals 5-lobed; stamens inserted	Gratiola

4 Leaves all basal	5
4 At least some stem leaves	6

5 Flowers solitary; petals tubular; leaves usually entire or toothed	Limosella
5 Flowers in spike-like clusters; petals 2-lipped; leaves pinnately lobed or cleft	Pedicularis

6 Petals spurred	7
6 Petals not spurred	9

7 Petals bluish purple, 4.5 – 6 mm long, excluding spur; flowers solitary in leaf axils	Chaenorrhinum
7 Petals yellow or blue, 10 – 13 mm long, excluding spur; flowers in terminal unbranched clusters	8

8 Slender annual, 10 – 40 cm tall; petals blue	Nuttallanthus
8 Stout perennial, 30 – 100 cm tall; petals yellow and orange	Linaria

9 Floral bracts coloured, concealing flowers	Castilleja
9 Floral bracts green, flowers evident	10

10 Stem leaves alternate	11
10 Stem leaves opposite	13

11 Stamens 5, filaments long-hairy; petals regular, distinctly 5-lobed	Verbascum
11 Stamens 4, filaments hairless; corolla irregular, indistinctly 5-lobed	12

12 Basal leaves absent; stem leaves usually entire, linear; flowers yellow; stamens not enclosed by upper lip	Orthocarpus
12 Basal leaves commonly present; stem leaves toothed or pinnately lobed; flowers yellow to white or purple; stamens enclosed by upper lip	Pedicularis

13 Sepals 4-lobed	14
13 Sepals 5-lobed	17

14 Petals pink or purple	Odontites
14 Petals white to yellow	15

15 Sepals about 1 cm long in flower, enlarged, veiny, and membranous in fruit	Rhinanthus
15 Sepals less than 1 cm long in flower, not enlarged in fruit	16

16 Leaves 2 – 10 mm long, lobed, upper leaves sessile	Euphrasia
16 Leaves 10 – 40 mm long, more or less entire, upper leaves stalked	Melampyrum

17 Sterile stamens present, filamentous	Penstemon
17 Sterile stamens absent or scale-like	18

18 Flowers blue; stamens enclosed by lower lip; upper stem leaves whorled	Collinsia
18 Flowers greenish to yellow or reddish; stamens not enclosed by lower lip; stem leaves all opposite	19

19 Petals green with reddish or purple tinge; flowers less conspicuous, less than 1 cm long; sepals segments deeply parted	Scrophularia
19 Petals yellow or pinkish red; flowers large and showy, 1 – 4 cm long; sepal segments united into tube	Mimulus