A genus comprising of coarse herbs of the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae), native to open woodlands in the Northern Hemisphere. The common name refers to an early use of these plants in treating hemorrhoids, an ailment once known as “figs.” They are rather tall, frequently fetid plants with purple, greenish, or yellow flowers in large branched spikes.

Britannica Editors. "figwort". Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Sep. 2014, https://www.britannica.com/plant/figwort. Accessed 18 October 2026.