g f i j [ 1253 ]
A N T I R R H I N UM repens.
Creeping Tale-blue Toadflax.
DIDYNAMIA Angiospermia.
Gen. Char. Cal. in 5 segments. Cor. with a prominence
at its base, pointing downwards and bearing
honey. Caps. 2-celled.
Spec. Char. Leaves linear, glaucous, whorled or
scattered. Stem panicled. Calyx smooth, the
length of the spur.
Syn. Antirrhinum repens. IJnn. ■ Sp. PI. 854. Sm.
FI. Brit. 658. Huds. 272. With. 550. Hull.
139. Sibth. 414. Dicks. Dr. P L 75. H. Sicc.
fasc . 17. 18.
A. monspessulanum. Linn. Sp. PI. 584.
Linaria cserulea, foliis brevioribus et angustioribus.
Raii Syn. * 2 8 2 : also L. odorata Monspessulana.
Ibid.
A RARE inhabitant of chalky banks, hitherto observed in but
few parts of our island. Ray had it from Cornwall (where it
still grows) and from Hertfordshire. It abounds on Henley
hill, Oxfordshire; and we are informed by the Rev. Mr. Butt
and by Mr. Dillwyn that it is plentiful about Llandovery and
Llangaddock, South Wales. It flowers from July to September,
diffusing a very sweet fragrance in some states of the atmosphere,
but not at all times.
The root is perennial, creeping much in the manner of
A. Linaria, • and throwing up numerous, erect, branched,
round, leafy stems. Every part of the herbage is smooth and
glaucous. Leaves narrow and entire, mostly scattered, but
sometimes whorled. Flowers in panicled clusters, erect.
Bractese small. Segments of the calyx lanceolate, smooth.
Spur and lower lip of the corolla whitish ; upper lip and tube
striped with greyish blue; the spur is conical, shorter than
the flower-stalk, and about as long as the calyx. Capsule globose.
Seeds angular, rugged and black.
This plant has had the fate of being twice described by
Linnaeus and Ray. Such mistakes were very rarely made by
the latter, nor often by the former when he did not trust to
other people. He described A. repens after Dillenius, without
seeing it, not knowing that it was his own A. mmspessu-
lanumi We prefer the first name as the most expressive.