Antirrhinum is a genus of plants in the Plantaginaceae family, commonly known as dragon flowers or snapdragons because of the flowers' fancied resemblance to the face of a dragon that opens and closes its mouth when laterally squeezed. They are also sometimes called toadflax They are native to rocky areas of Europe, the United States, Canada, and North Africa. Antirrhinum species are widely used as ornamental plants in borders and as cut flowers.

Description

The Antirrhinum is morphologically diverse, particularly the New World group (Saerorhinum). There are 23 accepted species.

A widely accepted scheme (Thompson 1988) placed 36 species in the genus in three sections. While many botanists accepted this broad circumscription (sensu lato), whose main departure from other classifications was the inclusion of the New World Saerorhinum, None of the names originally allocated to this section are now accepted.

Snapdragons

While Antirrhinum majus is the plant that is usually meant by the term of "snapdragon" if used on its own, many other species in the genus, and in the family Scrophulariaceae more widely, have common names that include the word "snapdragon". For example, Antirrhinum molle is known as "dwarf snapdragon" in the UK.

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus Antirrhinum:

Ecology

Snapdragons are short-lived perennial plants that survive well in cold seasons but are often replanted each spring and considered annual plants. They do best in full or partial sun, in well-drained soil since their roots are susceptible to rotting (although they do require regular watering). They are classified commercially as a range of heights: midget or dwarf (), medium () and tall (). Removing the dead flowers, referred to as deadheading, is important to help them to continuously produce beautiful flowers throughout their growing season. They are susceptible to ethylene gas, so removing dead flowers and keeping them away from ripe fruits or vegetables also helps them bloom longer. They grow during their peak seasons of April to June and August to October in the Northern Hemisphere including multicolored patterns.

They are ecologically diverse, particularly the New World species (Saerorhinum).

Several species of Antirrhinum are self-incompatible, meaning that a plant cannot be fertilised by its own pollen. Self-incompatibility in the genus has been studied since the early 1900s.

Uses

In addition to growing the plants for cut flowers, the seeds have been used to extract edible oils, particularly in Russia, while the leaves and flowers have been considered to possess antiphlogistic (anti-inflammatory) properties and have been used in poultices. A green dye has also been extracted from the flowers.

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File:Yellow-Snapdragon-Flower(Antirrhinum majus) 08.jpg|Yellow snapdragon flower

File:Antirrhinum majus-Flower 01.jpg|Antirrhinum majus flower

File:Pink Snapdragon Flower-Antirrhinum majus 02.jpg|Pink snapdragon flower

File:Antirrhinum majus-Flower 03.jpg|Antirrhinum majus flower

File:Pink Snapdragon Flower 02.jpg|Pink snapdragon flower

File:White-Snapdragon-Flower(Antirrhinum majus) 05.jpg|White snapdragon flower

File:Yellow-Snapdragon-Flower(Antirrhinum majus) 03.jpg|Yellow snapdragon flower

File:Antirrhinum majus-Flower 02.jpg|Antirrhinum majus flower

File:Antirrhinum white.jpg|Variety in Pakistan

File:Antirrhinum-2.jpg|Variety in Pakistan

File:Yellow-Snapdragon-Flower(Antirrhinum majus) 05.jpg|Yellow snapdragon flower

File:Pink Snapdragon Flower-Antirrhinum majus 01.jpg|Pink snapdragon flower

File:White-Snapdragon-Flower(Antirrhinum majus) 03.jpg|White snapdragon flower

File:Yellow-Snapdragon-Flower(Antirrhinum majus) 02.jpg|Yellow snapdragon flower

File:Pink Snapdragon Flower 03.jpg|Pink snapdragon flower

File:White-Snapdragon-Flower(Antirrhinum majus) 01.jpg|White snapdragon flower

File:Antirrhinum majus-Flower 04.jpg|Antirrhinum majus flower

File:Antirrhinum-3.jpg|Variety in Pakistan

File:Antirrhinum (Snapdragon).jpg|Variety in India

File:Yellow-Snapdragon-Flower(Antirrhinum majus) 04.jpg|Yellow snapdragon flower

File:Antirrhinum-4.jpg|Variety in Pakistan

File:Antirrhinum-5.jpg|Variety in Pakistan

File:Yellow-Snapdragon-Flower(Antirrhinum majus) 07.jpg|Yellow snapdragon flower

File:Pink Snapdragon Flower 01.jpg|Pink snapdragon flower

File:White-Snapdragon-Flower(Antirrhinum majus) 04.jpg|White snapdragon flower

File:Yellow-Snapdragon-Flower(Antirrhinum majus) 06.jpg|Yellow snapdragon flower

File:Pink Snapdragon Flower-Antirrhinum majus 03.jpg|Pink snapdragon flower

File:Antirrhinum-01.jpg|Antirrhinum in Pakistan

File:Antirrhinum majus 6.jpg|Snapdragon cultivar in India

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References

Sources

  • Sutton, D.A. (1988) A Revision of the Tribe Antirrhineae. Oxford: OUP.
  • Rothmaler W. 1956. Taxonomische Monographie der Gattung Antirrhinum. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin, Germany.
  • The Plant List
  • Antirrhinum in Topwalks
  • The Genus Antirrhinum (Snapdragon): A Flowering Plant Model for Evolution and Development
  • Antirrhinum majus genetic and phenotypic database