FOXGLOVE

any of 20 to 30 species of herbaceous plants of the genus Digitalis (family Scrophulariaceae, q.v.), especially D. purpurea, the common, or purple, foxglove, which is cultivated commercially as the source of the heart-stimulating drug digitalis. Foxgloves are native to Europe, the Mediterranean region, and the Canary Islands, and they typically grow to a height of 45 to 150 centimetres (18 to 60 inches). The plants produce alternating, ovate to oblong leaves toward the lower part of the stem, which is capped by a tall, one-sided cluster of pendulous, bell-shaped flowers, each of which may be up to 6 1/2 centimetres (2 1/2 inches) long. The flowers may be purple, yellow, or white and are often marked with spots within.