Common names:
American dragonhead, dragonhead mint
Scientific name:
Dracocephalum parviflorum
Range:
Mostly in the Four Corners states; also in scattered areas to the north
Height:
Between 6 and 30 inches
Habitat:
Rocky, open and often moist locations, between 3,500 and 8,000 feet; riparian and woodland
Leaves:
Broadly lanceolate to elliptic, up to 3 inches long and 1 inch wide; toothed
Season:
April to September
Flowers of dracocephalum parviflorum are small in relation to the leaves and bracts, and only a few are open at any one time. Flowers form in whorls near the tip of the stem and at the crowded upper leaf nodes. The white to pale pink corolla is about 0.3 inches long, opening to a three-lobed lower lip and a party divided upper lip. The four stamens are topped by purple anthers.
Leaves and bracts have a faint covering of short hairs. Leaves are widest below the middle, and lined with a few large, triangular teeth, and hairs of varying lengths. The teeth taper to a spine, often purplish. Bracts are narrower, more linear in shape, and also toothed.