Ivy-Leaved Toadflax

Description

Cymbalaria muralis, with common names ivy-leaved toadflax, Kenilworth ivy, coliseum ivy, Oxford ivy, mother of thousands, pennywort, wandering sailor, is a flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae native to Mediterranean Europe and widely naturalised elsewhere. It spreads quickly, growing up to 5 cm (2.0 in) tall – it commonly grows in rock and wall crevices, and along footpaths. The leaves are evergreen, rounded to heart-shaped, 2.5 to 5 cm (1.0 to 2.0 in) long and wide, 3–7-lobed, alternating on thin stems. The flowers are very small but distinctly spurred, similar in shape to snapdragon flowers. Flowers from May to September. Cymbalaria muralis is native to south and southwest Europe, the Southern Alps, 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.