Species: Nuttallanthus texanus
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Blue Toadflax is a slender annual with erect, unbranched stems that are 1-5 dm tall. There is a rosette of prostrate stems at the base, the leaves of which are narrowly oblong, 5-10 mm long, and opposite or in whorls of 3. Stem leaves are narrower, and the lower are opposite or in whorls of 3, becoming alternate above. Foliage is glabrous, often with a thin, bluish, waxy coating. Short-stalked flowers are borne in an elongating, spike-like inflorescence. The snapdragon-like blue flowers are 8-12 mm long and have 5 sepals and a 2-lipped corolla. The lower lip is horizontal and 3-lobed, while the upper is 2-lobed and erect. There is a linear, downcurved spur that is 2-11 mm long and located at the base of the corolla. The fruit is a globose, many-seeded capsule that is 2-4 mm high.
Classification
Dicotyledoneae
Scrophulariales
Scrophulariaceae
Nuttallanthus
NatureServe
Classification
Ecology and Life History
Blue Toadflax is a slender annual with erect, unbranched stems that are 1-5 dm tall. There is a rosette of prostrate stems at the base, the leaves of which are narrowly oblong, 5-10 mm long, and opposite or in whorls of 3. Stem leaves are narrower, and the lower are opposite or in whorls of 3, becoming alternate above. Foliage is glabrous, often with a thin, bluish, waxy coating. Short-stalked flowers are borne in an elongating, spike-like inflorescence. The snapdragon-like blue flowers are 8-12 mm long and have 5 sepals and a 2-lipped corolla. The lower lip is horizontal and 3-lobed, while the upper is 2-lobed and erect. There is a linear, downcurved spur that is 2-11 mm long and located at the base of the corolla. The fruit is a globose, many-seeded capsule that is 2-4 mm high.