Tiny, tiny flower id please.

[Wild-Woman]

This was on it's own in my garden today. I had to put a piece of paper behind it as it's so small my camera had problems focusing on it instead of the background.
It's a first for me. Any ideas what it is please? Thanks.

[Gill Catton]

maybe some kind of figwort?

[Hornbeam]

I agree that it is a figwort and would opt for Scrophularia nodosa (unless the taxonomists have been fooling around with the names again)

[jennyb]

I agree figwort. I had Common figwort Scrophularia nodosa in my garden last year, but it seems a bit early for it in April.

Jenny

[Wild-Woman]

Thanks everyone. That was what I narrowed it down to but when I looked at the dimensions, it just didn't seem right. The whole plant is the height of a biro pen and the flowers about 4mm in length. I suppose it could be stunted in some way by the surrounding plants. I shall look out for more of them!
Thanks again, green-fingered peeps.

[Cotham Marble]

Flower colour looks too uniformly purple for nodosa - is this perhaps water figwort Scrophularia auriculata ?

CM

[jennyb]

Originally Posted by Cotham Marble

Flower colour looks too uniformly purple for nodosa - is this perhaps water figwort Scrophularia auriculata ?

CM

Yes, with mine the flowers were purple on the top and yellowy green underneath.
It was also close to 1 meter high.

My book says the difference between nodosa and auriculata is the stem. It is four-winged in auriculata.

Jenny

[Cotham Marble]

The plant basal form is probably the only way to distinguish auriculata - Scrophularia auriculata L. (Water Figwort, Water Betony) shows the rounded 'ear' shaped basal leaves. For a close up of an auriculata flower see Scrophularia auriculata L. (Water Figwort, Water Betony) - also Scrophularia auriculata

For a possible non native variety (although again like nodosa the flower seem to have a yellowish lip) - http://www.aphotoflora.com/Scrophula...ia16-06-06.jpg