About Scrophularia marilandica L.
Scrophularia marilandica L. has several common names: late figwort, Maryland figwort, carpenter's square, and eastern figwort. This is a flowering plant species belonging to the family Scrophulariaceae. It is native to eastern and central North America, growing in dry woods across a range extending from Manitoba and Quebec in the north, south to Texas and Florida. The plant reaches a height of 1.5 to 3 metres (4 feet 11 inches to 9 feet 10 inches). It bears opposite, ovate leaves that grow up to 15 centimetres (5.9 inches) long and 9 centimetres (3.5 inches) wide. Its flowers are rounded, measuring 8 to 9 millimetres (0.31 to 0.35 inches) in length. The flowers have a cup-shaped mouth that resembles a horse's mouth with a pronounced overbite; they are deep reddish-purple on the inside, and range in outer color from greenish to nearly brown. Hummingbirds commonly visit these flowers during late summer. Historically, this species has also had the common names heal-all, pilewort, and scrofula-plant. It was historically used as an herbal remedy for hemorrhoids, and 19th century medical practice used its root extract to treat insomnia and anxiety.
