Nicknamed as the Beard-tongue, this large genus of North American and East Asian plants, belongs to the family, Plantiginaceae, due to new generic research, it has now been placed in the vastly extended family Plantiginaceae. Earlier it was placed in the Scrophulariaceae. They mostly have opposite leaves, partly tube-shaped and two-lipped flowers and seed capsules, its most distinctive feature being the prominent staminode, an infertile stamen. It generally takes various forms in the differing species, while typically a long straight filament extends to the corolla, some being longer and hairy, giving the general appearance of an open mouth with a fuzzy tongue that seems to protrude, inspiring its common name the beard-tongue. Read More »

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The genus Antirrhinum is a member of family Plantaginaceae which is native to Mediterranean region. It is commonly known as snapdragon or snap. The name ‘Antirrhinum’ is derived from the Greek word anti which means ‘like’ and rhin which means ‘nose’, referring to the snout like shape of the flower. The Antirrhinum flowers are widely popular among children’s game where one has to collect this individual flowers and squeeze them from the side. This makes the dragon’s jaws snap open and shut, which is fun to watch. Read More »

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