Nuttallanthus canadensis

Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Nuttallanthus
Species:
N. canadensis
Binomial name
Nuttallanthus canadensis
(L.) D.A.Sutton
Synonyms
  • Antirrhinum canadense L.
  • Linaria canadensis (L.) Dumort.

Nuttallanthus canadensis, the blue toadflax, Canada toadflax, or old-field toadflax, is a species of Nuttallanthus in the family Plantaginaceae, native to eastern North America from Ontario east to Nova Scotia and south to Texas and Florida.[2][3]

Description

It is an annual or biennial plant growing to 25–80 cm (9.8–31.5 in) tall, with slender, erect flowering stems. The leaves are slender, 15–30 mm (0.59–1.18 in) long and 1–2.5 mm (0.04–0.10 in) broad. The flowers are purple to off-white, 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) long, appearing from mid spring to late summer.[4][5]

Distribution and habitat

It is grown as an ornamental plant in its native area. It has been introduced to western North America and Europe, and is now locally naturalized, from Washington south to California, and also in Russia.[3][5] It typically grows in bare areas and grassland.

Ecology

The plant is a nectar source for bees and butterflies. It supports the larvae of the common buckeye. Leaves of the plant are also a food source for caterpillars.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  2. ↑ "Nuttallanthus canadensis". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  3. 1 2 USDA Plants Profile: Nuttallanthus canadensis
  4. 1 2 "Nuttallanthus canadensis (Blue Toadflax, Canadian Toadflax, Toad-flax) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  5. 1 2 Huxley, A, ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. ISBN 0-333-47494-5
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