
| Also known as: | Oldfield Toadflax, Blue Toadflax |
|---|---|
| Genus: | Nuttallanthus |
| Family: | Scrophulariaceae (Figwort) |
| Life cycle: | annual, biennial |
| Origin: | native |
| Habitat: | sun; dry sandy soil, prairies, roadsides |
| Bloom season: | May - July |
| Plant height: | 4 to 20 inches |
| USDA PLANTS database: | Minnesota county distribution map |
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Flowers are in a spike-like raceme at the top of the stem that elongates up to 8 inches. Individual flowers average about 1/3 inch long, irregular with an upper lip divided into 2 erect rounded lobes, and a lower lip with 3 rounded lobes. Flower color is blue to blue-violet, with a 2-humped white spot at the base of the lower lip. There is usually 1 spike on a stem, but a plant may have multiple stems.
Leaves are 1 to 1½ inches long and very narrow—not more than 1/8 inch wide, toothless, hairless, with pointed tips and no leaf stem. They are alternately attached and narrower on flowering stems, but oppositely attached and broader on the shorter non-flowering stems. The main stem is smooth and slender, green to reddish brown.
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Photos taken at Wild River State Park, Center City, MN June 2008
Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?