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Butter-and-eggs, Common Toadflax, Yellow Toadflax, Wild Snapdragon - Linaria vulgaris


Family: Plantaginaceae - Plantain family Genus Common Name: Toadflax Native Status: IntroducedDicot Perennial Herb Leaves:Alternate Leaves:Entire
Linaria vulgaris - Butter-and-eggs, Common Toadflax, Yellow Toadflax, Wild Snapdragon.
Linaria is a moderately large genus of around 150 species of Eurasia. Several species have been introduced into North America, but Linaria dalmatica (Dalmation Toadflax) and the species presented here, Linaria vulgaris (Butter-and-Eggs), have spread widely and vigorously enough to be classified as obnoxious species, the case for both of them in much of the western half of the United States. Linaria dalmatica is largely absent from the Southeast, but Linaria vulgaris is present in every state except Alaska and Hawaii, although only sporadically in the Southeast..

Found in:
AL, AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY
Linaria vulgaris

Distribution of Linaria vulgaris in the United States and Canada:
USDA Map temporarily unavailable.
Blue=Native; Grey=Introduced

Map from USDA Plants Database:
USDA, NRCS. 2017. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 16 Jan 2025). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.

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Site: Blue Ridge Parkway, southwest Virginia Date: 2014-September-01Photographer: Gerald C. Williamson
Nikon D7000
Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
The flowers of Butter-and-Eggs are pale (to sometimes bright) yellow with an orange mark on the lower lip; the paler yellow contrasted with the orange marking looking like - butter and eggs. The flower is about 1 inch long, and has a long, prominent spur. The upper and lower lips are about the same size.
Linaria vulgaris
Site: Blue Ridge Parkway, southwest Virginia Date: 2014-September-01Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D7000
he inflorescence is a crowded raceme terminating the stem, blooming in May through October. The leaves are alternate on the stem.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Linaria vulgaris
Site: Gore Bay, Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada Date: 2015-August-10Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D7000
Linaria vulgaris grows from 1 to 3 feet tall. The numerous leaves are linear to linear-lanceolate and about 1 to 2.5 inches long with acute tips.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Linaria vulgaris
References used for identification and information:
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Linaria vulgaris initially published on USWildflowers.com 2019-03-23; Updated 2019-03-23

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