Digitalis purpurea Digitalis purpurea Digitalis purpurea (foxglove, common foxglove, purple foxglove or lady's glove) is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae, native to and widespread throughout most of temperate Europe. It is also naturalised in parts of North America and some other temperate regions. The plants are well known as the original source of the heart medicine digoxin (also called digitalis or digitalin). "Digitalis purpurea" is an herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial plant. The leaves are spirally arranged, simple, long and broad, and are covered with gray-white pubescent and glandular hairs, imparting a woolly texture. The foliage forms
Plant physiology plants produce a vast array of chemical compounds with unique properties which they use to cope with their environment. Pigments are used by plants to absorb or detect light, and are extracted by humans for use in dyes. Other plant products may be used for the manufacture of commercially important rubber or biofuel. Perhaps the most celebrated compounds from plants are those with pharmacological activity, such as salicylic acid from which aspirin is made, morphine, and digoxin. Drug companies spend billions of dollars each year researching plant compounds for potential medicinal benefits. Plants require some nutrients, such as carbon and