beach false foxglove

Here is Agalinis fasciculata in the family of Scrophulariaceae:

This flower was found growing south of Opelika, AL, along route 51 in late September, 2011.  This plant is native to the United States and can be found throughout the southeastern states.  Though it is common here on the eastern side of Alabama I have not seen this flower in either the Jackson area nor the Delta.  I imagine it likes higher elevations (relatively speaking, Opelika is about 500 feet higher than Jackson), though this is just a guess.

common mullein

This is Verbascum thapsus of the family Scrophulariaceae:

The above flower was photographed along AL 51 south of Opelika, Alabama in late September, 2011.  It was introduced to the United States and has been quite successful, being found as far north as Greenland. According to Wikipedia, V. thapsus is a native of Europe and has been used for medicinal purposes for the last 2000 years.  It seems to possess anti-cough and expectorant properties. 

java-bean

This is Senna obtusifolia of the family Fabaceae:

S. obtusifolia is a native of the United States and is found throughout the eastern states as far north as Wisconsin and New York.  According to Wikipedia, this plant is most celebrated in China, where it has a long history in Chinese medicine as a laxative.  There is no mention of where or how it came by the name java-bean (it also bears the monikers coffeeweed and coffee pod).  I assume that may produce a tea similar in character to coffee, though with its use as a laxative in Chinese medicine, I will not be trying this any time soon.

This particular plant was found along state road 51, south of Opelika, AL in September of 2011.

stiff ticktrefoil

This is an example of Desmodium obtusum in the family Fabaceae:

Taken Sept. 23, 2011 south of Opelika, AL on State Road 51, D. obtusum is native to North America.  Desmodium spp. is found through out the United States and there are over 70 species in this genus.  According to Wikipedia, however, the genus is not well defined and has a tendency to gain and lose members.  Regardless of the particulars of which plant is assigned to which species, Desmodium spp. is finding use in agriculture as a natural source of bug repellant and weed killer.