Blue Flower ID please

[rscott74]

These images were taken 2 days ago at Rainton Meadows. The plants were growing in an artificially created limestome rockbed and whilst this is not part of their 'garden' it may be an introduction. Can anyone help with ID please. Thanks.

[Jez]

Looks like purple toadflax (linaria purpurea) to me!

[rscott74]

Thanks Jez. When I looked at some images online of PT I thought the grouping of the flowers didn't seem right as those on the web showed spikes of flowers. I looked at my images and found this one which indicates the 'normal' arrangement.
By the way I've noticed much more common toadflax this year - it stands out easily at this time of the yaer when colour is rapidly disappearing.

[Jez]

I only seem to see the yellow variety, but i know it has spread down my lane very rapidly in the last year also. It's known to self seed very freely!

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Jez

I only seem to see the yellow variety, but i know it has spread down my lane very rapidly in the last year also. It's known to self seed very freely!

The yellow Toadflax is a native plant. whereas Purple Toadflax is an introduced species though widely naturalised. It likes well drained sites such as shingle, railway sidings, brownfield sites, etc. Last year I was pleased to find some Toadflax Brocade caterpillars on some self sown plants in my garden.

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

The yellow Toadflax is a native plant. whereas Purple Toadflax is an introduced species though widely naturalised. It likes well drained sites such as shingle, railway sidings, brownfield sites, etc. Last year I was pleased to find some Toadflax Brocade caterpillars on some self sown plants in my garden.

Funnily enough I've just seen some Purple Toadflax today, only the second time I've ever seen it. It was growing beside part of the Ridgeway long-distance path, where it runs between two huge old chalk quarries near Chinnor, Oxfordshire. And thinking about it, the other time I saw it it was at the bottom of the embankment of an old railway line. So both locations tie in very well with your description.

[Pete Collins]

rscott74 mentioned seeing a lot of Common Toadflax this year. In my last post I almost said that I hadn't seen it much - then on a walk today I came across some, on a lane between Ewelme and Hailey, S. Oxfordshire. Earlier on the walk, near Watlington, I saw some Pale Toadflax, the first I've ever seen.

[IanS]

The purple toadflax is verging on pest status in Norwich! It grows everywhere around here. Whereas common toadflax is comparatively rare. I much prefer the yellow native to the purple invader