SCROPHULARIACEAE

Distribution: cosmopolitan, most species in northern temperate regions

Habitat/form: annual, biennial, or perennial herbs or sometimes understory shrubs

Leaves: opposite, alternate; simple; entire to deeply pinnately lobed; sometimes scale-like, exstipulate

Inflorescence: indeterminate or determinate; racemose, spicate, cymose, paniculate, flower solitary, terminal or axillary

Sexuality: synoecious

Symmetry: zygomorphic

Perianth:

corolla 5; connate; often bilabiate
calyx 5; distinct or variously connate

Andorecium:

stamens 2 or 4 (5); distinct
filaments: adnate to corolla anthers: dorsifixed or basefixed, sometimes sagittate, dehiscing longitudinally

Gynoecium:

ovary: superior
carpel(s): 2; connate
placentation: axile or parietal

Fruit: capsule, rarely a berry; endosperm fleshy; embryo straight or slightly curved, rarely undifferentiated

Diagnostics: bilabiate flowers, 2 or 4 stamens, 2 locules, fruit is a capsule

Notes: usually with nectariferous disk, some establish a root connection with other plants and are parasitic in varying degrees

Economic examples:

Antirrhinum (snapdragon)
Calceolaria (slipper flower)
Castilleja (Indian paintbrush)
Digitalis (foxglove: used in producing the drug digitalis)
Mimulus (monkey flower)
Penstemon (beardtongue)
Veronica (speedwell)

Web addresses:

http://www.science.siu.edu/parasitic-plants/Scrophulariaceae/
http://www.biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/angio/www/scrophul.htm
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/scrophulari.htm