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The flowers are quite attractive and produced in abundance during the late summer or fall. At one time the scientific name for this species was Gerardia purpurea, but the purple-flowered false foxgloves were reassigned to the genus Agalinis, while the yellow-flowered false foxgloves were reassigned to the genus Aureolaria. Distinguishing the different Agalinis spp. can be tricky as they have similar foliage and flowers. Purple False Foxglove has larger flowers (up to 1' long and across) than some other Agalinis spp. and they occur on pedicels (flowering stalks) that are shorter than the tubular calyx (the pedicels are about 1/8' long). The flowers are always some shade of purple or lavender, while the flowers of some Agalinis spp. are often pinkish in appearance. Purple False Foxglove is quite similar in appearance to Agalinis fasciculata (Beach False Foxglove), however this latter species has secondary leaves that are nearly as large as the primary leaves (i.e., the leaves appear to be whorled along the major stems). If they are present, such secondary leaves are smaller in size than the primary leaves in Purple False Foxglove.