''Physostegia'', the lionshearts or false dragonheads (in reference to their similarity to ''

Dracocephalum ''Dracocephalum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. These flowers, collectively called dragonhead, are annual plant, annual or perennial plant, perennial herbaceous p ...

''), is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family (biology), family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle, or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil (herb), ba ...

native Native may refer to: People * '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood * '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Nat ...

to North America (United States, Canada, northern Mexico).Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref>Biota of North America Program, 2013 county distribution maps
/ref> They are erect

rhizomatous In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

s inhabiting damp, sunny places. They grow up to tall with purple or pink tubular flowers in

raceme A raceme () or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate growth, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are ...

s in summer. The generic name comes from two Greek words, ''physa'' (a bladder) and ''stege'' (a covering), referring to the calyx, which becomes full of fruit when mature. ''

Physostegia virginiana ''Physostegia virginiana'', the obedient plant, obedience or false dragonhead, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family (biology), family, Lamiaceae. It is native plant, native to North America, where it is distributed from eastern Cana ...

'' is the most common species, and is known as "obedient plant". ;Species # '' Physostegia angustifolia'' Fernald - lower Mississippi Valley, southern Great Plains # '' Physostegia correllii'' (Lundell) Shinners - Texas, northern Mexico # '' Physostegia digitalis'' Small - Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama # '' Physostegia godfreyi'' P.D.Cantino - Florida Panhandle # '' Physostegia intermedia'' (Nutt.) Engelm. & A.Gray - lower Mississippi Valley, southern Great Plains # '' Physostegia ledinghamii'' (B.Boivin) P.D.Cantino - Northwest Territories, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, North Dakota # '' Physostegia leptophylla'' Small - Southeast from Florida to Virginia # '' Physostegia longisepala'' P.D.Cantino - Texas, Louisiana # '' Physostegia parviflora'' Nutt. ex A.Gray - western Canada (Manitoba to British Columbia), northwestern + north-central United States (Illinois to Washington) # '' Physostegia pulchella'' Lundell - eastern Texas # '' Physostegia purpurea'' (Walter) S.F.Blake - Southeast from Florida to North Carolina # ''

'' (L.) Benth. - much of eastern + central US + Canada; northeastern Mexico

References

External links

University of Texas Herbarium
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2702592 Lamiaceae Lamiaceae genera Flora of Northern America