Figwort (Family Scrophulariaceae)

Scrophulariaceae, the Figwort Family, is a family of flowering

plants. In the past it was treated as including about 275 genera and

over 5,000 species; however, many genera have recently been trans-

ferred to other families within the Lamiales, notably Plantaginaceae

and Orobanchaceae but also several new families.

Family Scrophulariaceae is extremely cosmopolitan, inhabitating

zones from frigid to tropical.

The family includes some medicinal plants, among them: Leptandra

(black root, Culver's root), Scrophularia (figworts) and Verbascum

(mulleins). Many, however, are poisonous. Others are edible fruit

(Halleria, umbinza) while others constitute important ornamentals.

One, Limnophila (‘Ambulia’), is valuable in aquaria.

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