Misopates orontium (L.) Raf.
Linearleaf snapdragon
Weasel's-snout, also called lesser snapdragon, is an upright annual of the plantain family and an archaeophyte, probably of Mediterranean origin, that has grown on British farmland since ancient times. It looks like a slender, wild relative of the garden snapdragon, carrying small, two-lipped pink flowers singly in the upper leaf axils.
About
Weasel's-snout, also called lesser snapdragon, is an upright annual of the plantain family and an archaeophyte, probably of Mediterranean origin, that has grown on British farmland since ancient times. It looks like a slender, wild relative of the garden snapdragon, carrying small, two-lipped pink flowers singly in the upper leaf axils. These are followed by a distinctly hairy seed capsule whose blunt, snouted shape gives the plant its curious common names.
It is a weed of light, sandy, well-drained arable soils, also turning up on roadsides and waste ground, mostly in southern Britain. Once a familiar cornfield plant, it has declined sharply over recent decades with herbicide use and the switch to autumn-sown crops, and it is now listed as Vulnerable in Britain. Flowering from July to October, it is valued in arable-conservation and cornfield mixes on sandy ground, where regular disturbance lets this increasingly scarce annual hold on.
Also known as
Weasel's-snout · corn snapdragon · lesser snapdragon · lesser-snapdragon · linear-leaved snapdragon
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.