Linaria vulgaris
Encyclopedia
Linaria vulgaris is a species of toadflax
(Linaria), native to most of Europe
and northern Asia
, from the United Kingdom
south to Spain
in the west, and east to eastern Siberia
and western China
. It has also been introduced and is now common in North America
.
with short spreading roots, erect to decumbent stems 15–90 cm high, with fine, threadlike, glaucous blue-green leaves
2–6 cm long and 1–5 mm broad. The flowers are similar to those of the snapdragon
, 25–33 mm long, pale yellow except for the lower lip which is orange, borne in dense terminal raceme
s from mid summer to mid autumn. The fruit
is a globose capsule
5–11 mm long and 5–7 mm broad, containing numerous small seeds.
The plant is widespread on ruderal
spots, along roads, in dunes, and on disturbed and cultivated land.
Because the flower is largely closed by its underlip, pollination
requires strong insects such as bee
s and bumblebee
s (Bombus species).
The plant is foodplant for a large number of insects such as the Sweet Gale Moth (Acronicta euphorbiae
), Mouse Moth
(Amphipyra tragopoginis), Silver Y
(Autographa gamma), Calophasia lunula
, Gorgone Checkerspot (Charidryas gorgone carlota), Toadflax Pug (Eupithecia linariata), Satyr Pug (Eupithecia satyrata
), Falseuncaria ruficiliana
, Bog Fritillary (Boloria eunomia
), Pyrrhia umbra
, Brown Rustic (Rusina ferruginea), and Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla
.
), they are often grown in children's gardens for the "snapping" flowers which can be made to "talk" by squeezing them at the base of the corolla.
The plant requires ample drainage, but is otherwise adaptable to a variety of conditions. It has escaped from cultivation in North America
where it is a common naturalised
weed
of roadsides and poor soils; it is listed as an invasive species
in several U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
Despite its reputation as a weed, like the dandelion, this plant has also been used in folk medicine for a variety of ailments. A tea made from the leaves was taken as a laxative
and strong diuretic
as well as for jaundice
, dropsy, and enteritis
with drowsiness. For skin diseases and piles
, either a leaf tea or an ointment made from the flowers was used. In addition, a tea made in milk instead of water has been used as an insecticide
. It is confirmed to have diuretic and fever-reducing properties.
), butter haycocks, bread and butter, bunny haycocks, bunny mouths, calf's snout, Continental weed, dead men's bones, devil's flax, devil's flower, doggies, dragon bushes, eggs and bacon (but see Lotus corniculatus
), eggs and butter, false flax, flaxweed, fluellen (but see Kickxia
), gallweed, gallwort, impudent lawyer, Jacob's ladder (but see Polemonium
), lion's mouth, monkey flower (but see Mimulus
), North American ramsted, rabbit flower, rancid, ransted, snapdragon (but see Antirrhinum
), wild flax, wild snapdragon, wild tobacco (but see Nicotiana
), yellow rod, yellow toadflax.
Linaria
Linaria is a genus of about 100 species of herbaceous annuals and perennials that was traditionally placed in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae. Due to new genetic research, it has now been placed in the vastly expanded family Plantaginaceae...
(Linaria), native to most of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and northern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
south to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in the west, and east to eastern Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and western China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It has also been introduced and is now common in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Growth
It is a perennial plantPerennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
with short spreading roots, erect to decumbent stems 15–90 cm high, with fine, threadlike, glaucous blue-green leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
2–6 cm long and 1–5 mm broad. The flowers are similar to those of the snapdragon
SnapDragon
SnapDragon is a contemporary jazz band based in San Antonio, Texas. The group released their debut CD, "Stealing a Moment" on Humbug Records in 2008, and the 10-song CD soon broke the Top 100 in U.S radio airplay...
, 25–33 mm long, pale yellow except for the lower lip which is orange, borne in dense terminal raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
s from mid summer to mid autumn. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is a globose capsule
Capsule (fruit)
In botany a capsule is a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. A capsule is a structure composed of two or more carpels that in most cases is dehiscent, i.e. at maturity, it splits apart to release the seeds within. A few capsules are indehiscent, for example...
5–11 mm long and 5–7 mm broad, containing numerous small seeds.
Ecology
Ruderal species
A ruderal species is a plant species that is first to colonize disturbed lands. The disturbance may be natural , or due to human influence – constructional , or agricultural .Ruderal species typically dominate the disturbed area...
spots, along roads, in dunes, and on disturbed and cultivated land.
Because the flower is largely closed by its underlip, pollination
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
requires strong insects such as bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s and bumblebee
Bumblebee
A bumble bee is any member of the bee genus Bombus, in the family Apidae. There are over 250 known species, existing primarily in the Northern Hemisphere although they are common in New Zealand and in the Australian state of Tasmania.Bumble bees are social insects that are characterised by black...
s (Bombus species).
The plant is foodplant for a large number of insects such as the Sweet Gale Moth (Acronicta euphorbiae
Acronicta euphorbiae
The Sweet Gale Moth is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is distributed through most of Europe.The wingspan is 32-40 mm. The adults fly at night from May to June .The larva feed on moorplants like Heather and Bog-Myrtle....
), Mouse Moth
Mouse Moth
The Mouse Moth is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is a very widespread species with a Holarctic distribution.This is a rather drab but distinctive species. The forewings are uniform dark brown with three blackish spots arranged in a triangle. The hindwings are buffish, darker towards the...
(Amphipyra tragopoginis), Silver Y
Silver Y
The Silver Y is a migratory moth of the family Noctuidae which is named for the silvery Y-shaped mark on each of its forewings.-Description:...
(Autographa gamma), Calophasia lunula
Calophasia lunula
Calophasia lunula is a species of noctuid moth known by the common names toadflax moth and toadflax brocade moth. It is used as an agent of biological pest control against yellow toadflax and Dalmatian toadflax Calophasia lunula is a species of noctuid moth known by the common names toadflax moth...
, Gorgone Checkerspot (Charidryas gorgone carlota), Toadflax Pug (Eupithecia linariata), Satyr Pug (Eupithecia satyrata
Eupithecia satyrata
The Satyr Pug is a species of moth of the Geometridae family. It is found from Ireland, through northern and central Europe east to central Asia and North Africa. It is also present in North America....
), Falseuncaria ruficiliana
Falseuncaria
Falseuncaria is a genus of moths belonging to the Tortricidae family.-Species:*Falseuncaria brunnescens Bai Guo & Guo, 1996*Falseuncaria degreyana *Falseuncaria kaszabi Razowski, 1966...
, Bog Fritillary (Boloria eunomia
Boloria eunomia
The Bog Fritillary or Ocellate Bog Fritillary is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.-Description:The wings are orange-brown with dark markings. The color of the hindwings are orangish-brown with a tan postmedian band followed by a row of round silver spots. The length of the forewings is...
), Pyrrhia umbra
Pyrrhia umbra
The Bordered Sallow is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in all of Europe, east through Anatolia to Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal and through central Asia to Japan. In the mountains it is found up to heights of 1,600 meters.The wingspan is 27–35 mm. The length of...
, Brown Rustic (Rusina ferruginea), and Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla
Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla
Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla is a moth of the Pterophoroidea family. It is found in Europe, Asia Minor, Syria, North Africa and Iran.The wingspan is 17-25 mm. The moths fly from March to October depending on the location....
.
Cultivation and uses
While most commonly found as a weed, toadflax is sometimes cultivated for cut flowers, which are long-lasting in the vase. Like snapdragons (AntirrhinumAntirrhinum
Antirrhinum is a genus of plants commonly known as snapdragons from the flowers' fancied resemblance to the face of a dragon that opens and closes its mouth when laterally squeezed...
), they are often grown in children's gardens for the "snapping" flowers which can be made to "talk" by squeezing them at the base of the corolla.
The plant requires ample drainage, but is otherwise adaptable to a variety of conditions. It has escaped from cultivation in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
where it is a common naturalised
Naturalisation (biology)
In biology, naturalisation is any process by which a non-native organism spreads into the wild and its reproduction is sufficient to maintain its population. Such populations are said to be naturalised....
weed
Weed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
of roadsides and poor soils; it is listed as an invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
in several U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
Despite its reputation as a weed, like the dandelion, this plant has also been used in folk medicine for a variety of ailments. A tea made from the leaves was taken as a laxative
Laxative
Laxatives are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements or to loosen the stool, most often taken to treat constipation. Certain stimulant, lubricant, and saline laxatives are used to evacuate the colon for rectal and/or bowel examinations, and may be supplemented by enemas under...
and strong diuretic
Diuretic
A diuretic provides a means of forced diuresis which elevates the rate of urination. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics increase the excretion of water from bodies, although each class does so in a distinct way.- Medical uses :...
as well as for jaundice
Jaundice
Jaundice is a yellowish pigmentation of the skin, the conjunctival membranes over the sclerae , and other mucous membranes caused by hyperbilirubinemia . This hyperbilirubinemia subsequently causes increased levels of bilirubin in the extracellular fluid...
, dropsy, and enteritis
Enteritis
In medicine, enteritis, from Greek words enteron and suffix -itis , refers to inflammation of the small intestine. It is most commonly caused by the ingestion of substances contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms. Symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, dehydration and fever...
with drowsiness. For skin diseases and piles
Hemorrhoid
Hemorrhoids or haemorrhoids , are vascular structures in the anal canal which help with stool control. They become pathological or piles when swollen or inflamed. In their physiological state they act as a cushion composed of arterio-venous channels and connective tissue that aid the passage of...
, either a leaf tea or an ointment made from the flowers was used. In addition, a tea made in milk instead of water has been used as an insecticide
Insecticide
An insecticide is a pesticide used against insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against the eggs and larvae of insects respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and the household. The use of insecticides is believed to be one of the major factors behind...
. It is confirmed to have diuretic and fever-reducing properties.
Other names
Linaria acutiloba Fisch. ex Rchb. is a synonym. Because this plant grows as a weed, it has acquired a large number of local colloquial names, including brideweed, bridewort, butter and eggs (but see Lotus corniculatusLotus corniculatus
Lotus corniculatus is a common flowering plant native to grassland temperate Eurasia and North Africa. The common name is Bird's-foot Trefoil , though the common name is often also applied to other members of the genus...
), butter haycocks, bread and butter, bunny haycocks, bunny mouths, calf's snout, Continental weed, dead men's bones, devil's flax, devil's flower, doggies, dragon bushes, eggs and bacon (but see Lotus corniculatus
Lotus corniculatus
Lotus corniculatus is a common flowering plant native to grassland temperate Eurasia and North Africa. The common name is Bird's-foot Trefoil , though the common name is often also applied to other members of the genus...
), eggs and butter, false flax, flaxweed, fluellen (but see Kickxia
Kickxia
Kickxia is a genus of plants in the figwort family. It includes several species of plants known commonly as cancerworts or fluellins. They are mostly native to Europe, but two species, K. elatine and K. spuria are well-known elsewhere as invasive weeds. Genus Kickxia was named after the Belgian...
), gallweed, gallwort, impudent lawyer, Jacob's ladder (but see Polemonium
Polemonium
Polemonium, commonly called Jacob's ladder, is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the family Polemoniaceae, native to cool temperate to arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and also in the southern Andes in South America...
), lion's mouth, monkey flower (but see Mimulus
Mimulus
Mimulus is a diverse plant genus, the monkey-flowers and musk-flowers. The about 150 species are currently placed in the family Phrymaceae. The genus has traditionally been placed in Scrophulariaceae. The removal of Mimulus from that family has been supported by studies of chloroplast DNA first...
), North American ramsted, rabbit flower, rancid, ransted, snapdragon (but see Antirrhinum
Antirrhinum
Antirrhinum is a genus of plants commonly known as snapdragons from the flowers' fancied resemblance to the face of a dragon that opens and closes its mouth when laterally squeezed...
), wild flax, wild snapdragon, wild tobacco (but see Nicotiana
Nicotiana
Nicotiana is a genus of herbs and shrubs of the nightshade family indigenous to North and South America, Australia, south west Africa and the South Pacific. Various Nicotiana species, commonly referred to as tobacco plants, are cultivated and grown to produce tobacco. Of all Nicotiana species,...
), yellow rod, yellow toadflax.
External Links
- Species Profile- Yellow Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris), National Invasive Species Information Center, United States National Agricultural LibraryUnited States National Agricultural LibraryThe United States National Agricultural Library is one of the world's largest agricultural research libraries, and serves as a National Library of the United States and as the library of the United States Department of Agriculture...
. Lists general information and resources for Yellow Toadflax.