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.