Agalinis tenuifolia
Agalinis obtusifolia
gérardie à feuilles ténues, slender-leaf agalinis, slender-leaf false foxglove
savanna false foxglove, tenlobe false foxglove
simple or branched, 10–100 cm;
branches ascending to spreading, quadrangular, sharply ridged to winged distally, glabrate, sometimes scabrous.
simple or branched, 30–80(–100) cm;
branches erect-ascending to arching-ascending, quadrangular, with siliceous ridges on angles and, often, faces proximal to leaves, glabrous, sometimes scabridulous on ridges and at nodes.
spreading, sometimes arching, ascending, or reflexed;
blade narrowly linear to linear-lanceolate, 10–70 x 0.3–6 mm, not fleshy, margins entire, adaxial surface scabrous;
axillary fascicles absent or shorter than subtending leaves.
erect to erect-ascending;
blade linear-elliptic to narrowly spatulate, most widened distally, 10–20 x 0.4–1.5 mm, margins entire, adaxial surface scabrous;
axillary fascicles absent.
racemes, elongate, flowers 2 per node;
bracts shorter than, or longer than, or both shorter and longer than, pedicels.
racemiform-paniculate, flowers 1 or 2 per node, interrupted by short multinoded branches bearing pseudoterminal flowers subtended by tiny bractlets;
bracts shorter than pedicels.
ascending-spreading, some upcurved distally, 6–25 mm, glabrous.
spreading-ascending, 4–25 mm, glabrous, rarely scabridulous.
calyx obconic to hemispheric, tube 2.3–5.5 mm, glabrous, lobes subulate to triangular-subulate, 0.3–2 mm;
corolla pink to rose purple, with 2 yellow lines and red spots in abaxial throat, 7–23 mm, throat pilose externally and glabrous within across bases and sinus of adaxial lobes, lobes: abaxial projected or spreading, adaxial projected over distal anthers, 2–8 mm, abaxial pilose externally, adaxial glabrous externally or pilose proximally;
proximal anthers perpendicular or oblique to filaments, distal perpendicular and vertical to filaments, pollen sacs 1–4 mm;
style exserted, 6.7–18 mm.
calyx hemispheric, tube 2–3 mm, glabrous, lobes deltate, 0.2–0.5 mm;
corolla pink, with 2 yellow lines and pink spots pale or absent in abaxial throat, 12–15(–17) mm, throat pilose externally and villous within across bases and sinus of adaxial lobes, lobes: abaxial spreading, adaxial reflexed-spreading, 3–5 mm, glabrous;
proximal anthers parallel to filaments, distal perpendicular to filaments, pollen sacs 1.5–2.1 mm;
style exserted, 5–7 mm.
globular, 4–7 mm.
globular to oblong, 4–5 mm.
tan to brown, 0.5–1.5 mm.
pale yellowish brown, 0.6–0.8(–1) mm.
= 28.
= 26.
Agalinis tenuifolia
Agalinis obtusifolia
Populations of Agalinis tenuifolia in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and possibly Prince Edward Island in Canada are presumed introduced.
Agalinis tenuifolia is the most widespread and morphologically variable species of the genus in the flora area. Infraspecific taxa have been recognized based on differences in sizes of corollas, calyx lobes, anthers, capsules, and leaves; presence or absence of axillary fascicles; density of indument on stamens; branches ascending versus spreading; and even the stoutness of reticulations on seed coats. These characters intergrade within and among populations and occur in many other combinations in addition to those described, making these infraspecific taxa arbitrary and inconsistent with plants in the field. Pressed specimens of A. tenuifolia are often confused with A. gattingeri from which they differ by lacking a villous band of trichomes within the corolla at the bases of the adaxial corolla lobes present in A. gattingeri; projecting adaxial corolla lobes versus erect to recurved lobes in A. gattingeri; elongate racemes with two flowers per node versus one flower per node, often appearing to terminate branches in A. gattingeri; and low wings of tissue on the branch angles that are absent or less pronounced in A. gattingeri.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Agalinis obtusifolia is usually found in dry habitats and less frequently in more hydric conditions. The following suite of characters is useful for differentiating A. obtusifolia from A. decemloba, A. flexicaulis, and A. skinneriana: stems and branches stiffly erect, brittle, prominently siliceous-ridged, stramineous when dried; leaves obtusely and narrowly elliptic-spatulate, margins scabrous and revolute, stramineous when dried; calyx lobes minute and deltoid; corolla lacking internal markings or markings faint; and inflorescences of interrupted racemes with secondary and tertiary branches bearing pseudoterminal flowers. Characters useful for differentiating A. obtusifolia and A. tenella are discussed under 32. A. tenella.
F. W. Pennell (1929) used the name Agalinis erecta (J. F. Gmelin) Pennell for A. obtusifolia. Pennell based his combination on Anonymos erecta Walter, an invalid name.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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