''Cymbalaria muralis'', commonly called ivy-leaved toadflax or Kenilworth ivy, is a low, spreading, viney plant with small purple flowers, native to southern Europe. It belongs to the plantain family (

Plantaginaceae Plantaginaceae, the plantain family, is a large, diverse family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales that includes common flowers such as snapdragon and foxglove. It is unrelated to the banana-like fruit also called "plantain." In older cl ...

), and is introduced in North America, Australia, and elsewhere. The flower stalk is unusual for seeking light until it is fertilized, after which it grows away from the light. Other names include coliseum ivy, Oxford ivy, mother of thousands, pennywort, and wandering sailor.

Description and habitat

It spreads quickly, growing up to tall – it commonly grows in rock and wall crevices, and along footpaths. The leaves are evergreen, rounded to heart-shaped, long and wide, 3–7-lobed, alternating on thin stems. The flowers are very small but distinctly spurred, similar in shape to

snapdragon ''Antirrhinum'' is a genus of plants commonly known as dragon flowers, snapdragons and dog flower because of the flowers' fancied resemblance to the face of a dragon that opens and closes its mouth when laterally squeezed. They are native to r ...

flowers. Flowers from May to September. File:(MHNT) Cymbalaria muralis.jpg, Plant habit File:(MHNT) Cymbalaria muralis - Leaf.jpg, Leaf File:(MHNT) Cymbalaria muralis - flower.jpg, Flower File:(MHNT) Cymbalaria muralis - fruits.jpg, Fruits

Distribution

''Cymbalaria muralis'' is native to Mediterranean climates in south and southwest

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, the

Southern Alps The Southern Alps (; officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. The name "Southern ...

, eastern Yugoslavia, southern Italy and Sicily. It has spread throughout the world as an invasive plant, including the United States, the British Isles, Australia and New Zealand. It is said to have been introduced into England by accident when a shipment of sculptures was brought to Oxford. It was first introduced early in the 17th century and was widely planted in the UK up to the 19th century.

Reproduction

This plant has an unusual method of propagation. The flower stalk is initially positively

phototropic Phototropism is the growth of an organism in response to a light stimulus. Phototropism is most often observed in plants, but can also occur in other organisms such as fungi. The cells on the plant that are farthest from the light contain a hor ...

and moves towards the light. After fertilisation, it becomes negatively phototropic ("scototropic") and moves away from the light. This results in seed being pushed into dark crevices of rock walls, where it is more likely to germinate.

References

External links

* *
Jepson Manual TreatmentPhoto gallery
{{Taxonbar, from=Q164270 Plantaginaceae Flora of Europe Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus