NameThatPlant.net: Linaria canadensis

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Lamiids: Lamiales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Linaria canadensis FAMILY Plantaginaceae Go to FSUS key

Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.

Many a fallow field in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain glows light blue with thousands upon thousands of individuals of this species. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.

The fruits of the Scrophulariaceae are usually 2-valved capsules, and there are many tiny seeds. See closeup photographs of dehisced and undehisced capsules of Linaria canadensis at Digital Flowers from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Nuttallanthus canadensis FAMILY Scrophulariaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 166-16-001:

Linaria canadensis FAMILY Scrophulariaceae

COMMON NAME:
Oldfield Toadflax, Common Toadflax, Canada Toadflax

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Linaria canadensis FAMILY Plantaginaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Nuttallanthus canadensis FAMILY Scrophulariaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 166-16-001:
Linaria canadensis FAMILY Scrophulariaceae

841

Forb
Winter annual/Biennial

Habitat: In a wide variety of natural and disturbed habitats, especially common and weedy in disturbed sites such as roadsides and fields, also common and apparently native in thin soil of rock outcrops, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common (rare in NC Mountains)

CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Simple
Lvs of erect stems alternate, lvs of prostrate stems opposite (rarely whorled)

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Blue/Purple
Bilaterally symmetrical
5-parted calyx
2-lipped corolla
4 included stamens (2 long, 2 short)
Superior ovary
Bisexual

Inflorescence a raceme

FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Capsule

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!

If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".

Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".