Scrophularia californica
Species of flowering plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scrophularia californica is a flowering plant in the figwort family which is known by the common names California figwort and California bee plant.
| Scrophularia californica | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Spermatophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Scrophulariaceae |
| Genus: | Scrophularia |
| Species: | S. californica |
| Binomial name | |
| Scrophularia californica | |
It is native to the western United States, including many habitats in California, and in British Columbia.
Description
Scrophularia californica is an unassuming plant with triangular, toothed, blue-green leaves in pairs opposite each other on a spindly, squared stem.
The brownish-magenta flowers are rounded, hollow buds about a centimeter long with two long upper lobes.
Relationships with animals
This species is a strong bee attractant and also serves as a host plant for variable checkerspot larvae.[1] While bees cannot see the color red, they are nevertheless able to see the flower, likely due to their ability to see patterns on the flowers visible in UV light.[2] The checkerspot is able to utilize iridoid glycosides in the sap to make its larva poisonous and adults unpalatable to predators.[3]
Human uses
Native American groups in northern Baja California have used the root of the plant to make a medicinal tea. The Pomo of northwestern California and the Ohlone of the San Francisco Bay Area used it as a poultice for infections and boils.[4]
