Cymbalaria
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| Cymbalaria | ||||||||||||
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| Missing image Ivy-leaved_toadflax_800.jpg Cymbalaria muralis (Ivy-leaved toadflax) | ||||||||||||
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About 10 species, including: |
Cymbalaria is a genus of about 10 species of herbaceous perennials in the foxglove family Scrophulariaceae, native to southern Europe. Due to new genetic research, it has now been placed in the much enlarged family Plantaginaceae.
They are closely related to the toadflaxes Linaria and snapdragons Antirrhinum, differing in their creeping growth and flowers borne singly, not in dense spikes. The scientific name means "resembling a cymbal", which the leaves of some species rounded like this musical instrument.
By far the best known species is Ivy-leaved toadflax Cymbalaria muralis, native to southwest Europe and widely naturalised elsewhere. It grows naturally on loose rocks and scree, and is commonly found growing on walls, making a trailing or scrambling plant up to 1 m long. It has small pale purple flowers with a yellow centre. The other species differ in details of leaf shape and flower colour.
