Herbs, annual; hemiparasitic. Stems erect, not fleshy, villous. Leaves cauline, opposite; petiole absent; blade not fleshy, not leathery, margins coarsely serrate. Inflorescences terminal, loose, unilateral racemes; bracts present. Pedicels present; bracteoles absent. Flowers: sepals 4, calyx +/- symmetric, not flattened laterally, campanulate, not accrescent in fruit, lobes deltate, subequal; petals 5, corolla purple to pink, dorsally obcompressed, strongly bilabiate, tubular to funnelform, abaxial lobes 3, adaxial 2, adaxial lip galeate; stamens 4, slightly didynamous, filaments papillose proximally, with spiral hairs at apex and club-shaped hairs at connective, anther mucros equal; staminode 0; ovary 2-locular, placentation axile; stigma capitate. Capsules: dehiscence loculicidal. Seeds 20–32, white, fusiform, wings absent. x = 9, 10.

Distribution

w Eurasia, n Africa.

Discussion

Species 26 (1 in the flora).

Molecular phylogenetic analysis indicates a close relationship between Odontites and six other genera, of which Bartsia, Bellardia, and Euphrasia occur in the flora area (J. R. Bennett and S. Mathews 2006; J. Těšitel et al. 2010; S. Uribe-Convers and D. C. Tank 2016). Odontites has been subdivided into five genera, four of which consist of one or two geographically limited species (M. Bollinger 1996); Odontites in the broad sense, as treated here, is much more diverse and geographically widespread.

Selected References

Bollinger, M. 1996. Monographie der Gattung Odontites (Scrophulariaceae) sowie der verwandten Gattungen Macrosyringion, Odontitella, Bornmuellerantha und Bartsiella. Willdenowia 26: 37–168.

Lower Taxa

Odontites vulgaris