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Schwalbea americana L.
Chaffseed
American Chaffseed
Florida native
Endangered Florida species
U.S. Endangered species
An occasional plant of moist grassy ecotones of sandhills, open hammocks and flatwoods in scattered locations in the panhandle and north and central peninsula. The range includes the southeastern states west into Texas, north into Kentucky and through the mid-Atlantic coastal states to Massachusetts and New York.
American chaffseed is a perennial herb that grows up to 6.1dm (2 ft.) tall with hairy stems that are usually unbranched. Alternate lanceolate, sessile leaves are three-veined, 2-cm (0.8 to 1.6 in.) long, overlapping in a spiral up the steam and reduced upwards. Two-lipped flowers are 2.5cm (~1 in.) long in a terminal spike, yellow and purplish near the tips and subtended by green bracts. Fruit is a capsule that opens into four sections.
Schwalbea americana is a member of the Scrophulariaceae - Figwort or Snapdragon family.
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
iNaturalist profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Nov 06, 2024
