On Jun 13, 11:44*am, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:05:20 +0100, Ellis Morgan

wrote:
I am feeling confused, is it *purple toadflax (linaria purpuria) *we are
talking about here?

It looks to me that the reallywildflowers catalogue shows a picture of
toadflax with a description of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
which I found confusing. I wonder what you get if you buy some.

http://www.habitas.org.uk/flora/species.asp?item=4063
http://www.plantpress.com/wildlife/o...oosestrife.php
http://www.reallywildflowers.co.uk/p...e_loosestrife/

I have both. What the OP has is linaria purpuria (purple toadflax).
When compared with lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife), the
toadflax flowers have much more blue in them (RHS encyclo says
violet-purple), and as other have said, the flowers are like miniature
snap-dragons. I would describe the loosestrife flowers as magenta
rather than purple (RHS encyclo says purple-red to purple-pink), so
IMO the reallwildflowers description is inaccurate. From their picture
it's not really clear whether it's showing linaria or lythrum, but I
agree it looks more like the former.

--

Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall overlooking the sea.
Mild, but very exposed to salt gales

I don't have that catalogue but seeing the 2 plants in the flesh you'd
never take purple loosestrife for purple toadflax
Apart from the colour, there's the snapdragony flowers, slimmer more
upright habit and whorled foliage of the toadflax.
Purple loosestrife leaves have willow like leaves as the botanical
name suggests and the plant is a wetland plant and would be dead in 5
minutes if planted in the conditions favoured by the toadflax.
Funny that the toadflax is said to be a widespread garden escape and
here I am after a lifetime as a working for a living gardener meeting
it for the first time.

Rod