2. Scrophularia marilandica L. (eastern figwort, carpenter’s square, late figwort)

Pl. 559 c–e; Map 2605

Stems 60–170(–260) cm long, with 4 blunt angles and usually somewhat concave sides, moderately pubescent with minute, glandular hairs, at least toward the tip. Petioles of the larger leaves 1.5–8.0 cm long, uniformly slender above the slightly expanded base, grooved and often paler on the upper side. Leaf blades 3–15(–25) cm long, lanceolate to ovate, all but the uppermost leaves rounded to shallowly cordate at the base, bluntly to sharply and often relatively finely toothed along the margins, the upper surface glabrous or sparsely and minutely glandular-hairy along the midvein, the undersurface glabrous or sparsely to moderately and minutely glandular-hairy. Inflorescences tending to be pyramid-shaped, mostly 5–18 cm wide, the main branches mostly spreading to loosely ascending. Calyces 2.0–3.5 mm long. Corollas 5–9 mm long, yellowish green, usually with reddish brown to brownish red mottling at least on the inner surface and along the margins, sometimes appearing nearly entirely reddish brown to brownish red. Staminode with the somewhat expanded tip dark purple to purplish brown, elliptic to ovate, longer than wide. Fruits 4–7 mm long, the body broadly ovoid to nearly globose, broadly angled to broadly tapered at the tip, the surface often somewhat shiny at maturity. July–October.

Scattered nearly throughout the state (eastern U.S. west to South Dakota and Texas). Bottomland forests, edges of mesic upland forests, banks of streams and rivers, and bottomland prairies.

Plants with the leaf undersurface relatively densely hairy have been called f. neglecta (Rydb. ex Small) Pennell, but grade fully into the less hairy, typical form. This species can be very difficult to distinguish from S. lanceolata.