Monday, March 5, 2012

Ivy-leaved toadfloax (Cymbalaria muralis)




This flower has been growing in our garden walls for ages...It has a very small blossom but it can grow with virtually no soil... I 've been looking for the name and I found out that it is Cymbalaria muralis (Scrophulariaceae family) or commonly known as ivy-leaved toadfloax or Kenilworth ivy (χιλιομάννα, άγριο σκυλάκι). The name of the genus "Cymbalaria" is derived from the greek word "kymbalon" that means cymbal and refers to the shape of the leaves and muralis describes it characteristic to grow on walls. So, one cannot argue that is has a very descriptive name...
It is native to southwestern Europe and it is evergreen. The flowers resemble small snapdragon flowers and are tiny with a yellow centre and purplish petals. One interesting feature the flowers have is that in the beggining the move towards light but after they are fertilised they start moving away from it. In this way the seeds are being pushed in dark places where it is more likely for them to germinate.

5 comments:

CameraCruise said...

What a beautiful flower!
I'd love to have it growing in my garden. But I guess it's to cold for it here in Norway.
Thanks for sharing this beauty.
Have a great day.
Mette

Greece's Flora said...

It is a verz nice flower, well the information I found is that it easily accustomed so maybe it would be worth to give it a try!

Marijke said...

Here small flowers are so beautiful. I found it one day in my garden. I have to go down on my knee's to see here. It's great to reed the history of this plant.
gr. Marijke

tselos photos -Nature of Roumeli said...

Πανέμορφη η κυμβαλάρια των τοίχων (και των τειχών) . Πρέπει να την αναζητήσεις για να την βρεις, διαφορετικά περνά απαρατήρητη .

Greece's Flora said...

πράγματι πολύ όμορφη αν και για μένα δεν τίθεται θέμα αναζήτησεις μιας και μόλις βγω από το σπίτι είναι μπροστά μου στον τοίχο της αυλής!!!