Agalinis maritima

Agalinis maritima (Raf.) Raf.

Common Names: Salt Marsh Agalinis

Family: Orobanchaceae

Habit: Agalinis maritima grows as a low growing annual up to 10 cm in height. The sessile leaves are arranged oppositely, to 5 cm long, and linear with an entire margin.

The complete, perfect, and zygomorphic flowers are in racemes. The calyx has 5 reddish brown, fused sepals. The corolla has 5 fused pink, pubescent petals with purple spots in the throat. There are 4 anthers that are fused to the corolla.  The two lower longer than the two upper ones. The fruit is a round capsule.

Habitat: Agalinis maritima grows at the edge of or in fresh water ephemeral wetlands.

Distribution: Agalinis maritima occurs in the throughout the Lucayan Archipelago and the Greater Antilles, and the eastern United States and Canada.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Agalinis maritima is not known to be used medicinally in the Bahamian Archipelago.