Within California bee plant, several varieties have been described. This genus is the only one in the modern figwort family to clearly illustrate the two-lipped bilateral symmetry that characterized the original family. 2 The sole native representative in the flora of the Reserve is California bee plant which remains in the genus Scrophularia. 41, 88 The new, reduced figwort family contains only eight species in three genera native in California.
However, recent revaluation of the family using modern taxonomic methods has shattered this old family, rearranging morphologically similar species into seven different families. The “scrophs” were typically two-lipped plants with two petals up and three down. Historically, the figwort family was a very large family (over 5000 species world-wide) that contained many of our well known local plants, such as snapdragon, monkey flower, Chinese houses and Indian paintbrush. The fruit is a dry, brownish ovoid capsule that splits open when mature, releasing numerous small, dark seeds.Ĭalifornia bee plant is a dicot angiosperm in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae. In this area, the main flowering time is February – July.
The style is appressed to the lower portion of the tube and extends beyond the corolla, bending downward. There is one pistil with a superior, green two-chambered ovary and a single style with a capitate stigma. The fifth stamen is reduced and infertile, mostly fused to the upper throat the unfused portion is dark red and diamond shape or triangular. There are four fertile stamens, more or less appressed to the lower portion of the throat and extending to the edge of the lower lobes. The corolla color is usually a dark red, sometimes faded on the lower portion and often yellowish deep within the throat. The flower is bisexual and bilaterally symmetrical with two petals up and three down the latter sometimes appear as two petals to the side and one down.
There are five green sepals that remain around the ovary after the petals have dropped. Although a flower cluster is large, the very open structure and tiny flowers do not produce a striking display, unless one includes the many bees that are in attendance.Įach flower is only about 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) in length. As a consequence of this repeated structure, the peduncles may have a distinct zigzag shape. One branch of the V leads to a single flower, the other branch continues to another fork which again produces one flower and continues the main peduncle.
#Zigzag plant poisonous series#
The flower cluster consists of a series of V-shaped nodes, each with a small, green, bract at the base. Tiny, dark red flowers occur in compound clusters at the tops of stems. 4, 59 Leaf petioles are 3-1/2 inches (7 cm) or less and often fused at the base with the petiole of the opposite leaf. In the Reserve, leaves are hairless and smooth, although they are sometimes reported to have short, sticky glandular hairs below, especially along the veins. The bright green leaves are opposite, oval to triangular in shape, up to 7-1/2 inches (19 cm) long the leaf base is heart-shaped or truncate and the margins are twice-toothed with coarse irregular teeth, sometimes appearing dissected or lobed. Warning: Seek medical attention for all ingestions.California bee plant is a tall, branching, somewhat ungainly herbaceous perennial that may reach six feet 23 or more 4 in height.
#Zigzag plant poisonous skin#
Skin contact with the sap may cause a burning sensation, skin irritation and rashes. Symptoms: Symptoms may include nausea vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea if ingested, with severe ulceration of the mouth from the clear sticky sap. Other: All parts of the plant are poisonous, especially the rhizome or root, leaves and sap. Leaves: The leaves are strap-like, 30-70cm long and up to 1.5cm wide, glossy green to dark green and somewhat fleshy. General description: An ornamental clumping perennial to 50cm, popular as a garden or pot plant.įlowers: The flowers are deep blue fading to purple, sometimes white, bell-shaped and clustered together in a large mass at the top of a long erect stem to 1m arising from the clusters of leaves. Other common names: African lily, blue African lily, blue lily Botanical name: Agapanthus species (most common species A.