Agalinis maritima
Species of plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Agalinis maritima, commonly called saltmarsh false foxglove, is an annual herbaceous plant. It is a halophytic, obligate wetland species found in the eastern Atlantic seaboard from Nova Scotia to Texas, extending further south towards the Lucayan Archipelago and the Greater Antilles.[2][3][4]
| Agalinis maritima | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Orobanchaceae |
| Genus: | Agalinis |
| Species: | A. maritima |
| Binomial name | |
| Agalinis maritima (Rafinesque) Rafinesque | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Distribution
Agalinis maritima is found in coastal salt and brackish marshes, including mangrove swamps and salt flats.[5] In Maine, it was most often found in high (upper) salt marsh where slight depressions have sparse vegetative cover and low competition from species such as Spartina patens.[6]
Description
Sometimes confused with Agalinis purpurea, saltmarsh false foxglove can be recognized from its fleshy, obtuse leaves.[7][8] It has pink or purple flowers arranged in short racemes; the blooms usually fall off within a day.[6][9] It blooms in August and September.[10] Agalinis maritima is a low-growing annual plant that reaches about 10 centimetres (3.9 in).[3] It is usually branched from the base upwards with ascending branches.[5]
It has a highly supported sister relationship Agalinis kingsii.[8]
Conservation
Agalinis maritima is threatened in New York state and rare in Maine and New Hampshire.[9][11] It is endangered by invasive phragmites and wetland destruction due to human development.[11]