Scrophulariaceae

DICOTYLEDONS

SCROPHULARIACEAE - Snapdragon Family

Parentucellia(bartsias)are upright, hairy, annual herbs with opposite, ovate leaves. They are semi-parasitic on the roots of other plants.
P. latifolia(red bartsia, common bartsia) grows to 20cm and is often reddish, with deeply toothed leaves. The small reddish-purple flowers are produced in short leafy spikes during spring. Widespread in wetlands, woodlands and granite rocks throughout the south-west.

Parentucellia latifolia, RR

P.viscosa (sticky bartsia) is a stouter, glandular-hairy plant, growing to 50cm. It has toothed leaves and a terminal spike of yellow flowers produced in spring. Widespread in winter-wet areas, including pastures, throughout the south-west. Both are native to Europe.

P.viscosa , RR

Phyllopodium cordatum (wasPolycarena heterophylla)is an inconspicuous, erect, hairy annual, flowering in spring, most of the leaves basal. The tiny yellow flowers are crowded into dense terminal spikes on slender stems to 20cm high. Grows in disturbed soils, including farmland, roadsides and woodlands from Perth to the central wheatbelt. Native to South Africa.

Phyllopodium cordatum, PH

Verbascum (mulleins) are erect, hairy biennials first producing a basal rosette of leaves, followed by a flowering spike. The flowers are yellow and are produced in spring and summer. V. thapsus (Aaron's rod, great mullein) is a robust, grey-hairy plant. The stem leaves taper at the base, running down the stem to form a wing. The flowering stem is densely woolly and can be up to 2m tall. Found in disturbed areas around old settlements in the lower south-west. A more widespread species is V. virgatum(green mullein, twiggy mullein).This plant has dark green, glandular-hairy leaves, the upper ones generally stem-clasping. The stem can be up to 2m tall and the flowers have purple hairs on the stamens. Found in disturbed areas on roadsides and firebreaks, also occasionally on granite rocks throughout the south-west, common around Busselton. V. creticum is a garden escape, found occasionally around old settlements. The basal leaves have long stalks carrying a few small leaflets and one large one at the end. The stem leaves are ovate and toothed. The stem with its spike of flowers may be 1m tall, but is less robust than other species. All native to Europe.

Verbascum virgatum, JD

Veronica(speedwells) is a genus of herbs or shrubs with opposite leaves. The flowers have four petals, fused together at the base and with two stamens; the flowers often fall off when the plant is picked. There are three native species in Western Australia, but none is likely to be found in disturbed areas like the two introduced ones. V. arvensis(wall speedwell) is an erect or sprawling hairy annual with ovate leaves and stems that often root at the nodes. In spring the tiny, sky-blue flowers are produced in terminal racemes, but they are not at all conspicuous and they often hardly open at all, except on the brightest of days. A common garden weed, and occasional in horticultural areas around Perth, but also found on granite rocks in the Porongorups and in tuart woodland at Yalgorup. Native to Europe.

Veronica arvensis, PH

V. persica(creeping speedwell) is a sprawling hairy annual with ovate, hairy, coarsely-toothed leaves. It is also spring-flowering but the flowers are much larger than the previous species and are borne singly on slender stalks in the axils of the upper leaves; the petals are sky-blue, with the lowest one white. Found in disturbed areas around settlements from Perth to Albany. Native to western Asia.

V. persica, RC

Zaluzianskya divaricata(zedweed, spreading night phlox) is an annual to 20cm, usually with a single upright stem but in favourable conditions it may branch into a candelabra shape. The leaves are opposite, ovate and toothed. The flowers are produced in spring in an open terminal cluster. They have a long tube with five spreading petals at the top and each petal is yellow with a red line down the centre. Widespread and often abundant on roadsides, in paddocks and disturbed woodlands throughout the south-west. Native to South Africa.

Zaluzianskya divaricata, PH

Previous page to Simaroubaceae & Solanaceae

Back to home page.

Webmaster: Rod Randall

*Parentucellia(bartsias)are upright, hairy, annual herbs with opposite, ovate leaves. They are semi-parasitic on the roots of other plants. P. latifolia*(red bartsia, common bartsia) grows to 20cm and is often reddish, with deeply toothed leaves. The small reddish-purple flowers are produced in short leafy spikes during spring. Widespread in wetlands, woodlands and granite rocks throughout the south-west.	*Parentucellia latifolia*, RR
*P.viscosa* (sticky bartsia) is a stouter, glandular-hairy plant, growing to 50cm. It has toothed leaves and a terminal spike of yellow flowers produced in spring. Widespread in winter-wet areas, including pastures, throughout the south-west. Both are native to Europe.	*P.viscosa* , RR
*Phyllopodium cordatum* (wasPolycarena heterophylla)is an inconspicuous, erect, hairy annual, flowering in spring, most of the leaves basal. The tiny yellow flowers are crowded into dense terminal spikes on slender stems to 20cm high. Grows in disturbed soils, including farmland, roadsides and woodlands from Perth to the central wheatbelt. Native to South Africa.	*Phyllopodium cordatum*, PH
*Verbascum* (mulleins) are erect, hairy biennials first producing a basal rosette of leaves, followed by a flowering spike. The flowers are yellow and are produced in spring and summer. *V. thapsus* (Aaron's rod, great mullein) is a robust, grey-hairy plant. The stem leaves taper at the base, running down the stem to form a wing. The flowering stem is densely woolly and can be up to 2m tall. Found in disturbed areas around old settlements in the lower south-west. A more widespread species is *V. virgatum(green mullein, twiggy mullein).This plant has dark green, glandular-hairy leaves, the upper ones generally stem-clasping. The stem can be up to 2m tall and the flowers have purple hairs on the stamens. Found in disturbed areas on roadsides and firebreaks, also occasionally on granite rocks throughout the south-west, common around Busselton. V. creticum* is a garden escape, found occasionally around old settlements. The basal leaves have long stalks carrying a few small leaflets and one large one at the end. The stem leaves are ovate and toothed. The stem with its spike of flowers may be 1m tall, but is less robust than other species. All native to Europe.	*Verbascum* *virgatum*, JD
*Veronica(speedwells) is a genus of herbs or shrubs with opposite leaves. The flowers have four petals, fused together at the base and with two stamens; the flowers often fall off when the plant is picked. There are three native species in Western Australia, but none is likely to be found in disturbed areas like the two introduced ones. V. arvensis*(wall speedwell) is an erect or sprawling hairy annual with ovate leaves and stems that often root at the nodes. In spring the tiny, sky-blue flowers are produced in terminal racemes, but they are not at all conspicuous and they often hardly open at all, except on the brightest of days. A common garden weed, and occasional in horticultural areas around Perth, but also found on granite rocks in the Porongorups and in tuart woodland at Yalgorup. Native to Europe.	*Veronica* *arvensis*, PH
*V. persica*(creeping speedwell) is a sprawling hairy annual with ovate, hairy, coarsely-toothed leaves. It is also spring-flowering but the flowers are much larger than the previous species and are borne singly on slender stalks in the axils of the upper leaves; the petals are sky-blue, with the lowest one white. Found in disturbed areas around settlements from Perth to Albany. Native to western Asia.	*V. persica*, RC
*Zaluzianskya divaricata*(zedweed, spreading night phlox) is an annual to 20cm, usually with a single upright stem but in favourable conditions it may branch into a candelabra shape. The leaves are opposite, ovate and toothed. The flowers are produced in spring in an open terminal cluster. They have a long tube with five spreading petals at the top and each petal is yellow with a red line down the centre. Widespread and often abundant on roadsides, in paddocks and disturbed woodlands throughout the south-west. Native to South Africa.	*Zaluzianskya divaricata*, PH