170 



FLOWERS OF ROCKS, WALLS, ETC. 



Ivy-leaved Toad Flax (Linaria Cymbalaria, Mill.) 



The comparatively recent introduction of this plant into the British 

 Isles precludes its being ancient in this region. It is found to-day in 

 the N. Temperate Zone from Holland southwards, except in Turkey. 

 It was introduced into England from abroad to the Chelsea Botanic 

 Gardens, whence it has spread all over the kingdom. As an alien its 

 distribution is uncertain, but the plant is generally distributed. 



Ivy - leaved load 

 Flax has now been in- 

 troduced long enough 

 to have established it- 

 self in many places. 

 It is fond of growing 

 on walls, especially 

 garden walls or ter- 

 races. It hangs down 

 from the interstices 

 between the stones of 

 church towers, and 

 covers the sides of 

 houses, often trailing 

 over the ground but 

 always near houses. 



The root is thin 

 and fibrous, with a 

 knack of finding its 



way into the crevices of walls and other inaccessible places. The 

 stem is very characteristic, being trailing, tufted, limp, purple and 

 stringy, rooting at intervals. The leaves are ivy -shaped, round, on 

 long terete leaf-stalks. 



The flowers are light-blue, axillary, and solitary, on long, smooth 

 flower-stalks. The lobes of the calyx are lance-shaped, and do not 

 fall. The corolla is gaping, with a short tube, and yellow palate 

 which closes the tube. The mouth is yellow and hairy. The nectary 

 is purple, as long as the calyx. There are 4 anther-stalks, with white 

 anthers. The capsule is globose, with black, ridged, wrinkled seeds. 

 The plant grows to a length of 2-3 ft., but is only some 3 in. high. 

 It flowers in May right up till November. The plant is perennial, 

 freely multiplying spontaneously by division of the root. 



IVY-LEAVED TOAD FLAX (Linaria Cymbalaria, Mill.) 



