Physostegia virginiana (Linnaeus) Bentham ssp. virginiana. Common name: Northern Obedient-plant. Phenology: Jul-Oct. Habitat: Streambanks, seepages, marshes, grassy balds (native occurrences usually over mafic or calcareous rocks), other open or semi-open moist to wet habitats, disturbed areas, ditches. Distribution: Native from QC west to MB, south to e. VA, nc. TN, nw. GA, s. MO, and ne. KS; escaped elsewhere (as in most of our area).
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Taxonomy Comments: Cantino (1982) discusses ambiguous plants from a zone of intergradation between the two subspecies in sw. NC, n. GA, ne. AL, e. TN, and sc. KY. Moreover, garden escapes show some intermediacy between the two subspecies, and Cantino (1982) suggests that cultivars are likely inter-subspecific hybrids, stating "because the genetic background of modern cultivars is unknown, they cannot be reasonably placed in either subspecies and should not be identified below the species level".
Synonymy ⓘ: = GrPl, Mi, Mo3, NE, Tn, Cantino (1982); = Physostegia virginiana (L.) Benth. var. virginiana — C; > Dracocepalum virginianum var. virginianum — WV; < Dracocephalum virginianum L. — G, RAB, S; > Dracocephalum virginianum L. var. granulosum (Fassett) Core — WV; >< Physostegia speciosa (Sweet) Sweet — Il; < Physostegia virginiana (L.) Benth. — GW2, NY, Pa, Tat; >< Physostegia virginiana (L.) Benth. — Il; > Physostegia virginiana (L.) Benth. var. granulosa (Fassett) Fernald — F; >< Physostegia virginiana (L.) Benth. var. speciosa (Sweet) A.Gray — F; >< Physostegia virginiana (L.) Benth. var. virginiana — F. Basionym: Dracocephalum virginianum L. 1753
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FAC (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Great Plains: FACW (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Midwest: FACW (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Northcentral & Northeast: FACW (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
Heliophily ⓘ: 7
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© Alan Weakley source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Weakley source | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Weakley source | Original Image ⭷Feedback
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Horticultural Information
Intro: Erect, colonial perennial of streambanks, seepages, marshes, grassy balds, other open or semi-open moist to wet habitats and disturbed areas; rare as a native, more common as an escape from cultivation.
Stems: Stems 4-angled, unbranched, smooth; multiple stems scattered on long, horizontal rhizomes.
Leaves: Leaves opposite, sessile to short-petiolate, oblong-lance-shaped or elliptic, to 5 in. long, with sharply pointed and widely spaced teeth, smooth.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers closely spaced and in 4 vertical rows along a terminal raceme (2-10 in. long); pink to purplish-pink (rarely white), about 1 in. long, tubular and inflated, opening to 2 lips, a hooded upper one and a 3-lobed lower one; the tubular calyx is shorter than the corolla and may be gland-dotted or covered in stalked glands.
Fruits:
Comments: Sometimes separated into 2 subspecies, with P. virginiana ssp. praemorsa forming small clumps rather than large clonal patches and usually having sterile floral bracts below the lowermost flowers (usually absent in ssp. virginiana).
Height: 1-4 ft.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Erect, colonial perennial of streambanks, seepages, marshes, grassy balds, other open or semi-open moist to wet habitats and disturbed areas; rare as a native, more common as an escape from cultivation.
stems: Stems 4-angled, unbranched, smooth; multiple stems scattered on long, horizontal rhizomes.
leaves: Leaves opposite, sessile to short-petiolate, oblong-lance-shaped or elliptic, to 5 in. long, with sharply pointed and widely spaced teeth, smooth.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers closely spaced and in 4 vertical rows along a terminal raceme (2-10 in. long); pink to purplish-pink (rarely white), about 1 in. long, tubular and inflated, opening to 2 lips, a hooded upper one and a 3-lobed lower one; the tubular calyx is shorter than the corolla and may be gland-dotted or covered in stalked glands.
fruits:
comments: Sometimes separated into 2 subspecies, with P. virginiana ssp. praemorsa forming small clumps rather than large clonal patches and usually having sterile floral bracts below the lowermost flowers (usually absent in ssp. virginiana).
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range: eastern North America
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