Linaria vulgaris (Yellow Toadflax) - photos and description
General: Weedy perennial plants, rhizomatous. Larger
plants often branching mid-stem. Stems and leaves are glabrous. Foliage
is light green in colour.
This plant has been declared a noxious weed in Saskatchewan.
Flowers: The flowers resemble those of Snapdragons, grow in a terminal spike, are pale yellow with an orange throat. Flowers have a long spur and have a faint scent. We measured a flower at 25 mm long.
Leaves: Leaves many, alternate, linear, stalkless. The leaf highlighted in the photo above was 45 mm long by 4 mm wide.
Height: Height is listed in Budd's Flora to 60 cm, we measured plants to 65 cm tall.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, waste ground.
Abundance: Fairly common.
Origin: Introduced.
Similar species: This plant is quite similar to Linaria dalmatica, however that plant has lanceolate to ovate, clasping leaves. Whereas Linaria vulgaris has linear leaves that are not clasping.
When and where photographed: Photos were taken August 18th on disturbed ground in a regional park, about 200 km north east of our home in Regina, SK.