Linaria purpurea

Perennials, from taproot, not reproducing vegetatively by stolons. Fertile stems erect or suberect, to 71(–140) cm; sterile stems to 18 cm. Leaves of fertile stems: blade oblanceolate to linear, usually flat, 5–45(–60) × 0.8–4(–8) mm, apex acute or subobtuse. Racemes 1–117-flowered, dense; bracts linear, 2–5(–5.5) × 0.3–1 mm. Pedicels erect, 1–3 mm in flower, 2–4(–5) mm in fruit. Calyx lobes linear to linear-lanceolate, 1.5–3 × 0.5–1 mm in flower, 2–3.5 × 0.7–1.2 mm in fruit, apex acute or subacute. Corollas violet to purple, with yellow or lilac palate, 9–13(–17) mm; tube 1.5–2.5 mm wide, spurs curved, 5–7(–9) mm, subequal to rest of corolla, abaxial lip sinus (0.6–)0.8–1.5(–2) mm, adaxial lip sinus 1 mm. Styles simple; stigma entire. Capsules subglobular, 2.7–4 × 2.5–3.7 mm, glabrous; loculi equal. Seeds black or blackish brown, subtrigonous or ± tetrahedral, 0.8–1.2 × 0.6–1 mm, with longitudinal marginal ridges and anastomosed ridges or tubercles on faces; wing absent. 2n = 12 (Europe).

Phenology: Flowering Jun–Oct.
Habitat: Disturbed places, railroad rights-of-way, beach foreshores.
Elevation: 0–1900 m.

Distribution

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• Legacy Map

B.C., Calif., Oreg., Wash., s Europe (Italy), introduced also in s South America (Argentina), n Europe, Australia.

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.