Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_3982.JPG-06-18-2020
Flower name (scientific): Scrophularia lanceolata Pursh PY: 1813. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) skrof-ew-LAIR-ee-uh (or skrof-u-LA-ri-a) lan-see-oh-LAY-tuh
Flower name (common): Lance-leaf Figwort
Family name (common): Figwort
Family name (scientific): Scrophulariaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: For scrophula, a form of tuberculosis affecting the lymph nodes. The plant was thought to be a cure for this disease.
    Specific epithet: For spear-shaped, referring to the lanceolate shape of the leaves.
Common name origin: From the leaf shape. Figwort is a compounding of fig + wort (plant). Though there is little resemblance of the fruit of this plant with that of Ficus carica, the common fig.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.2 to 0.3 inches (0.5 to 0.8 cm)
     Petal count: 5
     Color: brown or red or green
     Other: flower arrangement, Panicle
Plant description:
     Size: 24 to 72 inches (61 to 183 cm)
     Stem hairy:
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is opposite, type is simple
     Size: Leaves up to 15 to 20 cm long and up to 7 cm wide.
     Color:
     Hairy:
     Other: Shape: leaf, ovate to lanceolate (FNA)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Uncommon
Bloom time (typical): May to August
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial
Habitat: Forest openings, meadows, fields, thickets, woodland openings, disturbed areas, roadsides, sun or semi-shade.
Fruit:
Seed:
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): Scrophularia marilandica (Maryland Figwort) has a resemblance to Scrophularia lanceolata. Perhaps the simplist way to distinguish these two species: S. lanceolata has leaves with margins that are coarse and irregularly toothed (serrate to dentate) and a petiole length 1/6 to 1/3 the length of the leaf blade, whereas S. marilandica has leaves with margins that are more finely and regularly toothed (regularly serrate) and a petiole length 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the leaf blade.
Ethnobotany: No recorded uses by tribes from Wisconsin. The Iroquois used the roots of this plant to prepare a remedy for hemorrhage after childbirth. They also used this plant to treat several other ailments (Moerman, p. 524, 1998).
Latitude: 44.797503
Longitude: -91.503760
Altitude: 240.00
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (CA, CO, CT, DE, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SD, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (AB, BC, NB, NS, ON, QC, SK) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s):
Heterotypic Synonym(s):
Autonym: na
Wetland Status (NC): FACU
Wetland Status (MW): FACU