1. Gratiola neglecta Torr. (clammy hedge hyssop, hedge hyssop)

Pl. 483 c, d; Map 2203

Plants annuals, fibrous- to somewhat fleshy-rooted, lacking rhizomes. Stems 10–40 cm long, erect, usually several-branched, relatively slender (1–2 mm wide), not inflated or spongy, densely pubescent with short, gland-tipped hairs, at least toward the tip. Leaf blades 1–6 cm long, linear to narrowly elliptic, or oblanceolate, those of the uppermost leaves sometimes elliptic-obovate, those of the main leaves (ignore submerged foliage) broadest near the midpoint, narrowed basally and not clasping the stems, sharply pointed at the tip, the margins with few to several, shallow to moderately coarse, sharp teeth, the surfaces sparsely to moderately short-hairy, sometimes appearing glabrous or nearly so. Flower stalks 8–20 mm long, becoming elongated to 25 mm at fruiting, slender, glandular-hairy. Bractlets 3–6 mm long, linear to narrowly lanceolate-elliptic. Calyces 3–7 mm long, the lobes lanceolate to narrowly oblong-lanceolate, the margins entire. Corollas 7–10(–12) mm long, cream-colored to pale yellow externally (occasionally pale lavender-tinged) with dark purple to dark brownish purple venation, the throat and lobes white to pale pinkish-tinged. Fruits 3–7 mm long, about as long as the calyces, ovoid. 2n=14, 16. May–October.

Scattered to common nearly throughout the state, but uncommon or absent from most of the western half of the Glaciated Plains Division (nearly throughout the U.S., Canada). Margins of ponds, lakes, and sinkhole ponds, sloughs, banks of streams and rivers, bottomland forests, mesic upland forests in ravines, fens, marshes, bottomland prairies, wet swales in sand prairies, and seepy depressions of glades; also ditches, fallow fields, low margins of crop fields, quarries, wet roadsides, and wet, disturbed areas; usually terrestrial, but occasionally emergent aquatics in shallow water.