Sandplain Gerardia
Agalinis acuta

f25 @ 1/500s, ISO:2000, Nikon D3S w 105mm macro

"Agalinis acuta," Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Agalinis acuta is an annual hemiparasitic plant native to Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Long Island, New York. Common names include sandplain gerardia and sandplain false foxglove. It is one of about 70 species that comprise genus Agalinis. Agalinis acuta received federal protection on public lands upon being listed as in 1987 under the Endangered Species Act. Threats to extinction mentioned in the report listing the species were those that are characteristics of most threatened species; habitat fragmentation, lack of regulatory mechanisms protecting the species, and overexploitation for commercial or academic purposes. This annual herb grows up to 35 or 40 centimeters tall. The leaves are linear in shape, up to 2.5 centimeters long and one millimeter wide. Flowers are borne on pedicels one or two centimeters long. Each flower has a hairy tubular calyx of sepals with triangular lobes. The flower corolla is up to 1.3 centimeters long with a tubular throat and rounded, notched lobes. It is pink with a red-spotted white throat. Flowers occur in late summer and early fall, and the flower withers after one day, often less than a full day.

Francis A. Crane Wildlife Management Area, East Falmouth, Massachusetts

09/05/2019