Plantaginaceae

 

Digitalis purpurea

Foxglove

Dobris, Czech Republic - July 2009

Foxglove is a common biennial whose distinctive tall flower spikes can be found growing in forest clearings, hedge banks and open heathland throughout the British Isles and most of Europe.

Gwynedd, Wales - May 2008

The drug digitalis originates from this plant and its heartbeat-stabilising effects have been recognised since at least the late 18th Century when its use as a medicinal herb was first reported.

County Kerry, Republic of Ireland - July 2008

Digoxigenin (DIG), a steroid extracted from the flowers and leaves of Foxglove, is often used in molecular biology as a safer alternative to radioactivity in the labeling of oligonucleotide probes used in Southern and Northern blots.