Scientific Family
Scrophulariaceae
Other common names
American brooklime
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
4 to 40 inches
Riparian
Yes
Leafy stems with an open raceme (flowers attached by short equal stalks at equal distances along a central stem) of small blue flowers in each of several leaf axils.
Plants aquatic or semi-aquatic; 10 to 25 flowers per inflorescence; leaves on the main stem have short stalks; inflorescences terminal and lateral; spread by rhizomes or creeping rooting stems.
Habitat
Wet places where its rhizomes are shallowly buried in mud. It can form dense patches in slow moving water.
Plant Community
Riparian
Low elevation
3000
High elevation
9500
Flower Characteristics
4 to 5 lobes are joined at their base. Lowest lobe is the narrowest. Each inflorescence has 10 to 25 flowers.
Flower color
Blue to purple
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
No
First bloom month
May
Last bloom month
September
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Short stalked leaves are broadly lanceolate and can be toothed or nearly smooth. Leaves are pointed at the tips.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Round or oval
Leaf margin
Toothed
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
None
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Rounded and barely notched.
Fruit type
Capsule
Seeds are flat.