Many other members of the family are cultivated. Members of the family occur in many habitats from sea level to above timberline and from wetlands to deserts. Herbs or shrubs. Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled, simple to deeply divided or compound, estipulate. Inflorescence variously cymose or racemose, sometimes spicate or paniculate.
Flowers perfect, irregular.
Sepals 5 distinct or variously connate. Fruit a capsule. Despite its large size, the Scrophulariaceae is of limited economic importance. The drug digitalis is extracted from Digitalis purpurea . Some members of the Scrophulariaceae establish root connections with other plants and are parasitic to some degree.