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Lesser Snapdragon |
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| Nomenclature |
Species name: |
Misopates orontium (L.) Raf. |
Author(s): |
Carl von Linné;
Sweden, 1707-1778
Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz;
Turkey/ France/ USA, 1783-1840
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General names: |
Lesser Snapdragon, Weasel's Snout, Linear Leaf Snapdragon |
Maltese name: |
Papoċċi rqiq |
Plant Family: |
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Name Derivation: |
Misopates = from the Greek words "misos" (hate) and "patein" (step on), with which its author meant that it would be a pity to step on this beautiful herb (Greek);
orontium = derived from the Greek word "orontion", which is an old Greek plant name used already by Galenos in the 2nd century (Greek). |
Synonyms: |
Antirrhinum orontium, Antirrhinum orontium var. grandiflorum |
Remarks: |
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| Botanical Data |
PLANT STRUCTURE: |
Characteristic | Growth Form | Branching | Surface |
Description | Erect : Upright, vertically straight up well clear off the ground. | Basal Branching : Branches are mostly present at the basal part of the stem. | Glandular Hairs (Uppert part only): Possess hair that bear glands or swellings at their tip. Lower part hairless (glabrous). |
General
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LEAVES: |
Characteristic | Arrangement | Attachment | Venation |
Description | Whorled (x3): Three or more similar leaves growing at the same level about an axis (stem). | Sessile : Growing directly from the stem; without a stalk. | Single : One central main vein (midrib) along leaf axis. |
General
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Characteristic | Leaf Shape | Leaf Margin | Remarks |
Description | Fusiform : Spindle shape, widest in the middle and tapering towards both ends. | Entire : Smooth margin without indentations, lobes or any projections. | |
General
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FLOWERS: |
Characteristic | Colour | Basic Flower Type | No. of Petals | No. of Sepals |
Description | Pink & Red Pink petals with deep red veins. | Personate : Flowers composed of 2 lips with the lower one having a rounded projection known as a palate. | 2 Upper and lower lip-like petals resting on each other. | 5 |
General
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Characteristic | Inflorescence | Description | Ovary | Stamens |
Description | Raceme : Simple, elongated, indeterminate cluster with stalked flowers. | The flower consists of 5 finger-like sepals and a corolla of 2 large and complex, pink petals (lips), resting on each other forming a closed tubular structure. The 2 lips, but especially the palate of the lower one are further decorated by deep red veins. Inside the flower, there are 4 stamens and a pistil, all close together and located at the roof of the upper lip. The spur is absent. | Superior : Ovary situated above the flower parts (the calyx, corolla, and androecium). In other words, these are attached below the ovary. | 4, Didynamous : Having one pair of stamen longer than the other pair. Often the stamens of the pair are very close to each other and seems to be fused as a single unit (connate). |
General
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Characteristic | Scent | Average Flower Size | Pollen Colour | Other Notes |
Description | YES Mild sweet scent. | 8 x 8 x 15 mm (Length x Breadth x Depth). | Yellow | - |
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SEEDS: |
Characteristic | No. Per Fruit | Shape | Size | Colour |
Description | >200 | Irregular cylindrical to oval shape (Seed coat possess several ridges). | 1mm | Dark brown / Black |
General
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FRUIT AND OTHER BOTANICAL DATA: |
Characteristic | Fruit Type | Colour of Fruit | Subterranean Parts | Other Notes |
Description | Indehiscent Poricidal Capsule : A non-splitting fruit capsule which usually stores a large number of tiny seeds which escape through small pores or slits in the walls of the fruit. | Beige-Brown | Taproot : A rooting system where there is the main descending root of a plant having a single dominant large structure from which a network of smaller and long roots emerge. | - |
General
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| Plant Description |
Life Cycle: | Annual |
Habitat: | Cultivated fields (esp. cereal), field margins, soily waysides. |
Frequency: | Frequent |
Sources in Malta: | Frequent besides wheatfields such as in Qormi, Siggiewi and Rabat. Also located in Wied Anglu, Mizieb and Bahrija. |
Plant Height: | 20-50cm. |
| Apr - Jul |
Poison: | Not Poisonous |
This annual plant produces several erect, stems which branch only at the lower part; sometimes just above ground level. The stem is glabrous but becomes hairy (with glandular hairs) at the upper part,approximately at the region of the flowers and fruit.
The short stalked leaves are linear to fusiform, glabrous, have an entire outline and a distinct depressed midrib. The leaf length varies according to the position on the plant. Leaves at the main stem are larger, about 50mm long by 4mm wide, whereas branched leaves are much smaller (20mm x 2mm) and more linear in shape. The plant forms a large stipule-like leaves arranged in 3 x whorls or opposite pairs which becomes irregularly leveled and then alternating towards up the stem. From the axils of these leaves grows out a small slender branch of about 4 - 10 linear leaflets. These leaflets are usually arranged in decussate opposite pairs.
The small, solitary flowers measure about 6mm diameter and 15mm deep. They are nearly sessile to the stem (just a 1mm pedicel) and arranged in an alternate fashion forming loose racemes. Like the leaflet stems, there is a large sessile leaf-like bract from which the flower grows. The flower have 5 long linear sepals of slightly unequal length. In the flower form the the bract and the 5 sepals seems to form a singular 6-unit symmetrically arranged structure - as if the flower have a 6-sepal calyx.
The corolla is bi-laterally symmetrical and composed of an upper and lower pink-lilac lips which forms a closed tube-like structure. The upper lip has 2 lobes and the lower has 3 and both, especially at the palate of the lower one, have deep red veins. There is no spur and the flower are slightly scented. Inside the flower there are the reproductive organs, composed of one central pistil and 2 pairs of stamen with swollen yellow anthers. Sometimes the anthers of each pair are so close together that they fuse together.
The fruit of the plant are oval, green, dehiscent poricidal capsules which when they ripen they turn beige-brown, becomes dry and hard and develops 3 openings from which the tiny (1mm), brown seeds escapes the fruit, mainly by swaying of the stems with wind or animals passing by.
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| Additional Information |
Nativity and Distribution
This plant is widespread in many areas around the world mainly in the continents of Africa, Europe and Asia. It is native to:
AFRICA : ( Eg: Cape Verde, Algeria; Egypt; Libya; Morocco; Tunisia Eritrea; Ethiopia; Sudan; Kenya)
ASIA: (eg: Iran; Israel; Jordan; Lebanon; Syria; Turkey; India; Nepal; Pakistan )
EUROPE: (eg: Austria; Belgium; Netherlands; Switzerland; Ukraine; Albania; Bulgaria; Greece; Italy; Romania; Yugoslavia; Portugal; Spain; Canary Islands) [WWW-26]
Synonyms
The plant is also referred to as Antirrhinum orontium and Antirrhinum orontium var. grandiflorum [WWW-26]
Food for Larvae
This plant can be used as food for the following larvae: Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla and Stenoptilia aridus [WWW-62]
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