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Agalinis laxa Pennell
Long-pedicelled Agalinis
Federal Protection: No US federal protection
State Protection: No Georgia state protection
Global Rank: G3G4
State Rank: S1
Element Locations Tracked in Biotics: Yes
SWAP 2015 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): No
SWAP 2025 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes
2025 SGCN Priority Tier: High Conservation Concern
Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 7
Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Dry longleaf pine sandhills
Annual herb with slender, smooth or rough-hairy, stems 8 - 39 inches (20 - 100 cm) tall, round in cross-section near the base and weakly angled near the top, with many widely spreading and slightly upcurved branches. Leaves are 0.8 - 1.2 inch (2 - 3 cm) long, very narrow (less than 1 mm wide), opposite, spreading, widely separated, finely rough-hairy or smooth, with few to no leaves in the axils. Flowers are pink, 0.6 - 0.7 inch (1.5 - 1.8 cm) long, with five rounded lobes spreading from a short, broad tube that is densely hairy on the inner surface and minutely hairy on the outer surface; the throat of the tube has two yellow lines, a scattering of red or purple spots, and a patch of pink hairs at the base of the two upper lobes; the two anterior stamens have filaments that are 0.2 inch (5-5.5 mm) long; flowers are produced singly at the leaf nodes. The flower stalk is 0.6 - 1.2 inch (1.5 – 4.7 cm) long, smooth, widely spreading, and without bracts. Fruits are nearly round capsules less than 0.2 inch (4 - 5 mm) broad, on stalks lengthened to 1 - 2 inches (2.5 - 5 cm) long; seeds are black. Live plants are dull green usually suffused with purplish pigment; dried plants are blackish, and the dried calyx is dark purple, its veins not visible.
Several species of Agalinis that occur in sandhills and other dry habitats in Georgia’s Coastal Plain are similar to Agalinis laxa; all of these plants, except Agalinis tenella, have leaves and stems that are dark or dull green, suffused with red or purple pigment, when alive, and turn black when dried. Their leaves are usually longer than 0.8 inch (2 cm).
Chattahoochee False Foxglove (Agalinis plukenetii) branches are ascending (curved upwards) or somewhat spreading; the two front stamens have filaments that are about 0.3 inch (7-9 mm) long; and there is one pair of slender short bracts on the flower stalk just below the calyx.
Thread-leaf False Foxglove (Agalinis setacea) branches are ascending (curved upwards) or somewhat spreading; the two front stamens have filaments that are about 0.3 inch (7 - 9 mm) long.
Few-flowered Purple Foxglove (Agalinis tenella, Georgia Special Concern) branches are ascending (curved upwards) or somewhat spreading and are barely or not at all rough-hairy; its flowers are smaller and are produced 2 per node; flower stalks are less than 1.2 inch (30 mm) long; and its seeds are yellow. Live plants are pale green with no purple pigment and dried plants turn pale yellowish-green.
Slender-leaf False Foxglove (Agalinis tenuifolia) has flowers with the upper lobe folded forward over the stamens, sometimes nearly blocking the throat; there are two yellow lines in the throat but there is no patch of hairs at the base of the two upper lobes.
There are 11 rare Agalinis species in Georgia. For more information, see: https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/element_lists?group=plant
Longleaf Pine-dominated sandhills and river dunes, pine flatwoods with sandy soil, and ancient dunes near the coast.
Lax Purple Foxglove is an annual herbaceous species, reproducing only by seed. Its flowers are visited by a variety of bees searching for nectar and pollen and that likely pollinate the flowers. No studies of this species breeding system have been conducted. Its fruits contain many tiny, winged seeds that are wind-dispersed.
As with all species of Agalinis, Lax Purple Foxglove is hemi-parasitic, meaning that it is capable of synthesizing carbohydrates through photosynthesis but it derives mineral nutrients and water by attaching to other plants using haustoria, small root-like structures on Agalinis roots that penetrate the roots of host plants and extract nutrients and water.
The identity of Agalinis laxa has fluctuated during the decades after it was first named by Francis W. Pennell in 1931, based on plants he collected in Brunswick, Georgia. Radford et al. (1968) lumped both A. laxa and A. plukenetti with A. setacea, but current interpretations treat Agalinis laxa as a separate species.
Surveys should be conducted during flowering September–October.
Coastal Plain of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina.
Conversion of habitat to pine plantations, pasture, agriculture, and residential and commercial development. Fire suppression. Invasion by the exotic pest plant, Cogon Grass.
| Threat 1 | Threat 2 | Threat 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Threat | Human intrusions & disturbance | Natural system modifications | Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases |
| Specific Threat | None | None | None |
Agalinis laxa is ranked S1 by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, indicating that it is critically imperiled in the state. Although documented at four sites between the 1920s and 1940, it has been documented only once in recent years, on a state wildlife management area in Glynn County.
Protect sandhills, flatwoods, and ancient river dunes from development. Apply prescribed fire every 2-3 years, preferably during the growing season. Eradicate Cogon Grass.
Canne-Hilliker, J.M. and J.F. Hays. 2019. Agalinis laxa. Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 17. Oxford University Press, New York. http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Agalinis_laxa
GADNR. 2019. Element occurrence records for Agalinis laxa. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division. Social Circle, Georgia.
NatureServe. 2019. Species account for Agalinis laxa. NatureServe Explorer: an online encyclopedia of life, Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Accessed 29 June 2019. http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Agalinis+laxa
Pennell, F.W. 1931. Agalinis laxa Pennell, sp. nov. Studies in the Agalinanae, a subtribe of the Rhinanthaceae, II – Species of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 40: 431-432. Accessed 29 June 2019. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/55388#page/454/mode/1up
Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the southern and mid-Atlantic States. University of North Carolina Herbarium, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm
Linda G. Chafin
Linda G. Chafin, 29 June 2019: original account.
