In this article we are going to talk about Agalinis purpurea, a topic that has been present throughout history and that continues to be relevant in today's society. Agalinis purpurea has aroused great interest and debate, both in academia and in public opinion, due to its impact on different aspects of daily life. Over time, Agalinis purpurea has been the subject of studies, research and reflections that have contributed to expanding our understanding of this topic. In this sense, we will address different perspectives and approaches to better understand the importance and meaning of Agalinis purpurea today.
Agalinis purpurea (known by common names including purple false foxglove and purple gerardia[3]) is an annualforbnative to the eastern United States and Canada,[4] which produces purple flowers in late summer or early fall.
Description
Agalinis purpurea is 10 to 120 centimeters tall. The stem is slender, with spreading branches. It has simple opposite leaves, which are 10 to 40 millimeters long, and only 0.5 to 2 millimeters wide. The flowers are racemose on the branches. They are borne on 1 to 8 millimeter long pedicles. Each flower is bilaterally symmetrical, with five 20 to 38 millimeter long petals fused into a corolla tube, and four stamens. The fruit is a round 4 to 6 millimeter long dry capsule that splits open when ripe.[5][6]
Distribution and habitat
Agalinis purpurea is widely distributed in the eastern United States, although local distribution may be spotty. It has been recorded in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. It has also been recorded in the Canadian province of Ontario.[4] In Virginia, it grows in habitats such as marshes, swamps, interdune swales, and old fields.[7] The presence of this species is dependent on appropriate habitat, and it may be eliminated from an area by development, changes in land use, or competition with invasive species.
Ecology
Like other members of the genus Agalinis, this species is hemiparasitic on a variety of hosts, particularly graminoids.[8]Agalinis purpurea uses haustoria to connect its roots with those of its host plants, but it also has green tissues, and performs photosynthesis.[5]
^Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. 2003. An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG II. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 141:399-436., cited in Walter Fertig "Farewell to the Aceraceae: Changes in the Angiosperm Family Tree"(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on July 20, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2014. The University of Montana Herbarium Newsletter. (Spring 2011). University of Montana, Missoula, MT. http://herbarium.dbs.umt.eduArchived 2014-03-06 at the Wayback Machine