Agalinis fasciculata

Agalinis fasciculata
Photo was taken by Gil Nelson
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class:	Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons
Order:	Scrophulariales
Family:	Scrophulariaceae
Genus:	Agalinis
Species:	A. fasciculata
Binomial name
Agalinis fasciculata (Elliott) Raf.
Natural range of Agalinis fasciculata from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Description

It is an annual plant and it produces large, pink flowers in late summer (Musselman et al 1979). Numerous small capsules each carrying hundreds of brown honeycombed seeds mature in late autumn (Musselman et a 1979). Agalinis fasciculata is a root hemiparasite. A great variety of herbaceous and woody plants make up its host range. (Musselman et al 1979).

Ecology

Habitat

It can be found in frequently burned pine sandhills (Entisols), flatwoods (Spodosols), upland pine communities and shortleaf pine-oak-hickory woodlands (Ultisols), as well as calcareous glades, and margins of ponds, lakes, depressions, marshes, and wet meadows, and on the borders of dunes (Musselman et al 1979; FSU Herbarium). It occurs on a wide range of soil types from deep sands to loamy clay (FSU Herbarium). It requires high light provided by frequently burned areas (Musselman et al. 1979; FSU Herbarium). It can occur on very disturbed soils, such those in railroad and power line rights-of-way, clear-cut areas, disturbed roadsides, dredged up sand, and site-prepped pine forests (Musselman et al 1979; FSU Herbarium). It appears to be somewhat salt tolerant given its proximity to salt marshes (Musselman et al. 1979) and co-existence with Spartina bakari and other brackish and salt water plants (FSU Herbarium).

References and notes

Musselman, L. J. and W. F. Mann, Jr (1979). "Agalinis fasciculata (Scrophulariaceae), a native parasitic weed on commercial tree species in the southeastern United States." American Midland Naturalist 101: 459-464.

FSU herbarium http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu/