Common toadflax, 26th of January 2018.

I painted common toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) on Krk island, on 12th of October, during a two-day scientific meeting of Croatian physical society. I found it on a piece of ground where Vela rika river enters the sea, near Zablaće auto-camp. I sat on a wall above the flow (the river is more like a stream, not at all vela (grand) as its name suggests), took out the paint tubes, brushes, H pencil and eraser, a little bottle filled with water and painted for about twenty minutes. Near me, behind the wall, there was a French family in a large camp trailer.

Only three days later, I found common toadflax on a meadow in Dragonoš in Žumberak mountains, just before sunset, when we tried to find a lost earring, retracing back the path we walked on the meadow. We didn't find the earring, but I noticed several toad flax plants, more modest than the one from Krk shown in the image above. The flowers of common toadflax remind one of little frogs, so that's probably where its name comes from. Its other name, butter-and-eggs reminds one of the lavish yellow color of the flowers. Just beside the plant in full bloom, there was a smaller plant which I also painted. I am not sure whether the darker balls are the seeds or unopened flowers, I can't think of the reason I didn't touch them and see how they feel.

In folk medicine, common toadflax is used as a laxative and a diuretic, but also for a whole range of other diseases, from hemorrhoids to water in lungs.

The illustration of common toadflax in the image below was published in a book English Botany. The illustrator was probably James Sowerby. I already mentioned this publication in the posts on >> poppy and >> hazelnut.

<< Curry plant

Common centaury >>

Last updated on 26th of January 2018.