Scrophularia canina L.
Eng.: Dog figwort, French figwort. Spa.: Ruda camera, hierba de troya. Fre.: Scrofulaire des chiens. Ara.: Guzaia.
Subshrub, perennial, hermaphrodite, up to 80(120) cm in height, glabrous or with some sessile glands. Stems branched from the base. Leaves fleshy, opposite, up to 60(80) × 20(25) mm, pinnatifid or pinnatisect, with irregularly crenate-serrate divisions, glabrous, sometimes with sessile glands along the veins and the margin. Inflorescence with axis generally glandular, with cymes 3-6 cm, with the first division dichasial and the following divisions scorpioid, with bracts elliptic or linear-lanceolate, usually entire, and bracteoles longer than the pedicels. Flowers pentamerous, with pedicels 1.5-3 mm and longer than the calyx at fruiting. Calyx 1.5-2 mm, with 5 ovate lobes, obtuse, with wide membranous and shortly dentate margin. Corolla 3.5-6.5 mm, subglobose, zygomorphic, completely open, not gibose at the base, purple with white side lobes, with a linear staminode inserted towards the upper half of the tube, rarely absent. Androecium with 4 stamens, the 2 upper stamens slightly longer than the lower stamens. Fruit a capsule 3-4.5 mm, longer than the calyx, ovoid or subglobose, apiculate, persistent, with septicidal dehiscence with 2 valves.
Flowering:
March to June(July).
Fruiting:
April to August.
Habitat:
Indifferent to the type of soil, developing better in disturbed loamy or clayey soils, often behaving as a ruderal species.
Distribution:
Common in central and southern Europe, North Africa and SW Asia. In North Africa it is found in rocky outcrops, slopes, scree and ditches, preferably on alkaline terrain, practically throughout all the Mediterranean area.
Conservation status:
Common and widespread species. Currently, it has not been assessed at a global level in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.