Agalinis purpurea (L.) Pennell

Height

Agalinis purpurea (L.) Pennell ranges from 10 to 120 centimeters in height.

Stem Structure

It has a slender stem with spreading branches.

Leaf Characteristics

Its leaves are simple, opposite, 10 to 40 millimeters long, and only 0.5 to 2 millimeters wide.

Inflorescence Structure

Flowers grow in racemes on the branches, and are held on pedicels that measure 1 to 8 millimeters long.

Flower Morphology

Each flower is bilaterally symmetrical, with five petals 20 to 38 millimeters long that are fused into a corolla tube, plus four stamens.

Fruit Characteristics

The fruit is a round dry capsule 4 to 6 millimeters long that splits open when it reaches maturity.

Distribution Overview

Agalinis purpurea is widely distributed across the eastern United States, though local populations may be scattered.

U.S. Distribution

It has been recorded in the following U.S. states and district: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.

Canadian Distribution

It has also been recorded in the Canadian province of Ontario.

Virginia Habitat

In the state of Virginia, it grows in habitats including marshes, swamps, interdune swales, and old fields.

Threats

Its continued presence in any area depends on having suitable habitat; it can be eliminated from an area by development, changes in land use, or competition with invasive species.

Hemiparasitic Trait

Like other species in the genus Agalinis, this plant is hemiparasitic on a variety of host plants, especially graminoids.

Nutrition Strategy

It uses haustoria to connect its roots to the roots of its host plants, but it also produces its own green photosynthetic tissues and carries out photosynthesis.