My first thought was that it was an orchid. Then I can think of a couple of plants that have tails to the flowers – delphinium and toadflax.
The little mouths on this plant make me think of toadflax, but the pink and white colour is unfamiliar to me. Any clues, anyone?
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Deb will know, I’m sure … she’s marvellous at plants ‘n stuff!
Lol, thanks Rebby; )
Pretty sure you’re right David (and I think she’s Just Peachy; )
https://farmyardnurseries.co.uk/shop/premium-plant/linaria-peachy-2/
Well Deb, well sleuthed! I phoned the nursery, and the man there said that Peachy is a hybrid. It is fertile, but to keep the strain they take cuttings. Seeds run to a variety of colours – blue, yellow, etc. So the plant I saw is probably correctly described as ‘seed from Peachy’.
I wonder how it got in that patch of land in the park that has been left to run wild? A passing bird, perhaps?
Perhaps that one in a million occurrence that brought her about just happened again? But when I think of Toadflax (Linaria), the first thing that came to mind (and popped up in my search; ) was Butter & Eggs. Which in my mind’s eye always seemed to be a Lilliputian, sun-shiney Summer day version of Snapdragon: )
Who knew she’s yet another “Useful Plant”? https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Linaria+vulgaris
I had never heard of ‘Butter and Eggs’ what a name!
Yes, snapdragons – with their little mouths that you can open when you press the sides. I used to love Ivy-leaved toadflax that seemed to like growing in the mortar spaces of old brick walls. That battle to get a bit of wind-blown sandy soil to settle on a brick – and then a seed and then a flower. 🙂
Yes, so my GranMa always called them: )
But perhaps that ‘old mortar’ where the seed caught simply became a perfect host while reverting back to its composites?; )
I thought about that – Yes, maybe sand and lime mortar breaking down.
Bet they like it slightly alkaline; )
And a bad guess on my part:/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phlogiston_theory
Ah yes, it is the ‘heat’ connection.
I had to look up antiphlogistic in the herbal you linked to, because it reminded me of Phlogiston – and the connection in the anti-heat properties of Linaria. I don’t think I ever knew what the origin of Phlogiston was, or maybe I heard it and forgot what the chemistry teacher said when we were ‘doing gases’ in Chemistry.
“Phlogiston?” Definitely sounds (as happens so often) like the discoverer’s name applied to the concept(?)
It’s the ‘heat’ principle – that every compound contained Phlogiston and that got used up when the compound was burned. We were taught that Priestley’s discovery of oxygen ended the Phlogiston theory.
It makes me think of dark matter to explain the makeup of the universe – an idea that may come tumbling down when a better understanding comes along.
Well, not really. Burning stored energy(calories) releases heat (so there’s your link to ‘phlogiston’) and if I’ve got it right, an antiphlogistic removes heat from the body, or an infection?
Yes, an antiphlogistic removes heat, and Phlogiston was the energy source for burning (except as later understanding showed, it wasn’t a thing at all).
I can see it as more of a concept, than an actual thing. (Would need to read up more; )
They were just nibbling on the edges of heat/stored energy…
But being both a Greek word and medicinal term’s not really much of a leap either, is it? lol
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