California figwort is also frequently called bee plant. JM1 recognized two subspecies, floribunda, and californica, but JM2 has placed them both together in a single taxon. The flowers were essentially the same, but what appeared to differentiate this taxon was the leaves, which are deeply dissected with serrate sections, rather than the crenate- to dentate-margined ssp. californica. The longer leaf blades are up to 7" in length with cordate to truncate, occasionally wedge-shaped bases. The pedicels are glandular-puberulent. The calyx lobes are green and triangular-ovate with a rounded to acute tip. This plant may be found in dryish to moist conditions to about 7500' in chaparral, coastal sage scrub and along roadsides throughout most of the California Floristic Province, blooming from March to July. These pictures were taken in the Laguna Hills.

Click here for Latin name derivations: 1) Scrophularia 2) californica.
Pronunciation: skrof-yoo-LARE-ee-a ka-li-FOR-ni-ka.
Click here for Botanical Term Meanings.