Agalinis gattingeri


Agalinis gattingeri, the roundstem false foxglove, is an annual hemiparasitic forb measuring between 10.5 and 60.5 cm in height. It is an upright herb with many or few branches on a slender stem, and narrow leaves measuring 10 to 34 mm in length by 0.4 to 1 mm in width. It has pinkish, tubular flowers, blooming through late summer and fall, that are 7– 30 mm in length with numerous red spots and two yellow lines on the lower lip. Single flowers often arise terminally on branches rather than on the stem. Seed capsules are rounded, with numerous yellow to tan seeds that measure 0.5 to 1.2 mm in length.

Habitat

Agalinis gattingeri grows in drier areas of remnant prairies and alvar.

Conservation status

Populations are declining across much of the plant's range, especially in its northern portion, where Agalinis gattingeri is listed as threatened or endangered in many of the states and provinces in which it occurs. Prior to 2007, it was unknown in Manitoba, where there is a single known population, and in Ontario it is restricted to nine sites in the southern portion of the province. Its chief threats are habitat loss and human encroachment.