Description: Perennial herbs or subshrubs; stems erect or ascending.
Leaves usually opposite, entire to 2-pinnatisect.
Flowers in cymes or rarely reduced to a single flower, in the axils of leaf-like or reduced bracts, forming ± distinct terminal panicles or racemes. Sepals 5, fused only at base. Corolla tube short, ± globose; usually 2-lipped, upper lip 2-lobed and erect, lower lip shorter and 3-lobed. Stamens 4, only slightly didynamous, anthers 1-locular; staminode scale-like or rarely absent. Stigma capitate to ± 2-lobed.
Capsule septicidal; seeds numerous, ovoid, wrinkled.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 150 species, mostly in northern temp zone, especially Eurasia, also North America. Australia: 2 species (naturalized), N.S.W., Tas.
Text by W. R. Barker Taxon concept:
One species in NSW: Scrophularia nodosa |
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