SafePlants

False Foxglove (Agalinis spp.)

The genus Agalinis, commonly known as False Foxglove, encompasses several species of flowering plants. This write-up covers multiple species of Agalinis, as well as some Aureolaria, another genus sometimes referred to as False Foxglove.

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Considerations for Pets

• Mature plants may have short, stiff hairs on stems and leaves, which could be a skin irritant.

Considerations for Children

• Mature plants may have short, stiff hairs on stems and leaves, which could be a skin irritant.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Agalinis spp.
• Common Names: False Foxglove, Purple Gerardia, Gerardia. Specific species include names like Stiff-leaf False Foxglove, Slenderleaf False Foxglove, Roundstem False Foxglove, Earleaf False Foxglove, Coastal Plain False-foxglove, and Flax-leaf False-foxglove.
• Synonyms/Related Names: Aureolaria.

Distribution and Habitat

• One species, Agalinis strictifolia, is noted as "Not In Idaho."
• Some species, such as Agalinis auriculata, are often found in limestone outcroppings.
• Mention is made of calcareous soils.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Agalinis are often erect.
• Agalinis can be annual or perennial.
• Stems: Angled and rough, or round with white hairs, sometimes purplish with a whitish or glaucous bloom. They may range from rather stout and stiff to more slender, remaining erect.
• Leaves: Opposite, sessile, entire, linear, ranging from 0.4 to 2.5 inches long and 1/25 to 1/5 inch wide, slightly rough with short, stiff-hairs or glabrous, dark green. Some species, like Agalinis auriculata (Ear-leaf False Foxglove), have leaves with a clasping auricle or ear. Other species have fernlike, delicately dissected leaves.
• Flowers: Single, tubular flowers in leaf axils, pink to purple, to 1-inch. Agalinis purpurea (Large-purple False Foxglove) has larger flowers (up to 1" long and across) than some other Agalinis species.
• Size: Can grow up to 1.5 meters tall.

Ecological Role

• Earleaf false-foxglove parasitizes several species of grasses and sunflowers (Helianthus spp.).
• Dodders are herbaceous vines that attach to False Foxglove stems and leaves, stealing food.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Several state-rare, light-demanding species are frequently associated with purple false-foxglove (Agalinis).

Additional Notes

• Some Agalinis species are light-demanding.