Species in the Phrymaceae in our region are terrestrial or aquatic perennial herbs with simple, opposite leaves. The leaves have toothed margins and have petioles. The flowers are arranged in various kinds of inflorescences growing from the tips of the stem or branches, or they may be solitary. The flowers have both pollen-bearing and ovule-bearing parts, and are zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical). The 5 sepals are fused at the base into a tube. The 5 petals are also fused at the base, and may have a straight upper lip and a longer, expanding, 3-lobed lower lip. There are 4 stamens arranged in pairs and a long style with a 2-lobed stigma, each lobe being large and plate-like, closing together after contact with pollen. The fruit is a capsule or a dry achene. Some species in this family were formerly considered to be part of the Scrophulariaceae or Verbenaceae.
This Family’s Genera in New England:
Visit this family in the Dichotomous Key