''Cymbalaria'' is a genus of about 10 species of

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition ...

perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

s previously placed in the family

Scrophulariaceae The Scrophulariaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the figwort family. The plants are annual and perennial herbs, as well as shrubs. Flowers have bilateral ( zygomorphic) or rarely radial ( actinomorphic) symmetry. The S ...

, but recently shown by genetic research to be in the much enlarged family

Plantaginaceae Plantaginaceae, the plantain family, is a large, diverse family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales that includes common flowers such as snapdragon and foxglove. It is unrelated to the banana-like fruit also called "plantain." In older ...

. The genus is native to southern

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

. It is closely related to the genera ''

Linaria ''Linaria'' is a genus of almost 200 species of flowering plants, one of several related groups commonly called toadflax. They are annuals and herbaceous perennials, and the largest genus in the Antirrhineae tribe of the plantain family Pla ...

'' and ''

Antirrhinum ''Antirrhinum'' is a genus of plants commonly known as dragon flowers, snapdragons and dog flower because of the flowers' fancied resemblance to the face of a dragon that opens and closes its mouth when laterally squeezed. They are native to ...

'', differing in having creeping growth and

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

s borne singly rather than in dense erect spikes. The common name

toadflax Toadflax is the common name of several related genera of plants in the family Plantaginaceae, including: * '' Anarrhinum'' * ''Antirrhinum'', also called Snapdragon * '' Chaenorhinum'', native to Turkey and the Mediterranean * '' Cymbalaria'' * ''L ...

is shared with ''

'' and other related genera. The scientific name means "resembling a cymbal" for the somewhat rounded leaves. By far the best known species is ''

Cymbalaria muralis ''Cymbalaria muralis'', commonly called ivy-leaved toadflax or Kenilworth ivy, is a low, spreading, viney plant with small purple flowers, native to southern Europe. It belongs to the plantain family (Plantaginaceae), and is introduced in North A ...

'' (also called ivy-leaved toadflax, and Kenilworth ivy), native to southwest Europe. It has widely naturalised elsewhere and is commonly sold as a garden plant. ''C. muralis'' characteristically grows in sheltered crevices in walls and pathways, or in rocks and scree, making a trailing or scrambling plant up to 1 m long.

Species list

Accepted species are: *''

Cymbalaria aequitriloba ''Cymbalaria'' is a genus of about 10 species of herbaceous perennial plants previously placed in the family Scrophulariaceae, but recently shown by genetic research to be in the much enlarged family Plantaginaceae. The genus is native to south ...

'' (Viv.) A.Chev. *''

Cymbalaria bakhtiarica ''Cymbalaria'' is a genus of about 10 species of herbaceous perennial plants previously placed in the family Scrophulariaceae, but recently shown by genetic research to be in the much enlarged family Plantaginaceae. The genus is native to south ...

'' Podlech & Iranshahr *''

Cymbalaria glutinosa ''Cymbalaria'' is a genus of about 10 species of herbaceous perennial plants previously placed in the family Scrophulariaceae, but recently shown by genetic research to be in the much enlarged family Plantaginaceae. The genus is native to south ...

'' Bigazzi & Raffaelli *''

Cymbalaria hepaticifolia ''Cymbalaria'' is a genus of about 10 species of herbaceous perennial plants previously placed in the family Scrophulariaceae, but recently shown by genetic research to be in the much enlarged family Plantaginaceae. The genus is native to south ...

'' (Poir.) Wettst. *''

Cymbalaria longipes ''Cymbalaria'' is a genus of about 10 species of herbaceous perennial plants previously placed in the family Scrophulariaceae, but recently shown by genetic research to be in the much enlarged family Plantaginaceae. The genus is native to south ...

'' (Boiss. & Heldr.) A.Chev. *''

Cymbalaria microcalyx ''Cymbalaria'' is a genus of about 10 species of herbaceous perennial plants previously placed in the family Scrophulariaceae, but recently shown by genetic research to be in the much enlarged family Plantaginaceae. The genus is native to south ...

'' (Boiss.) Wettst. *''

Cymbalaria muelleri ''Cymbalaria'' is a genus of about 10 species of herbaceous perennial plants previously placed in the family Scrophulariaceae, but recently shown by genetic research to be in the much enlarged family Plantaginaceae. The genus is native to south ...

'' (Moris) A.Chev. *''

'' G.Gaertn., B.Mey. & Schreb. *'' Cymbalaria pallida'' (Ten.) Wettst. *''

Cymbalaria pluttula ''Cymbalaria'' is a genus of about 10 species of herbaceous perennial plants previously placed in the family Scrophulariaceae, but recently shown by genetic research to be in the much enlarged family Plantaginaceae. The genus is native to south ...

'' (Rech.f.) Speta *''

Cymbalaria pubescens ''Cymbalaria'' is a genus of about 10 species of herbaceous perennial plants previously placed in the family Scrophulariaceae, but recently shown by genetic research to be in the much enlarged family Plantaginaceae. The genus is native to south ...

'' (J.Presl & C.Presl) Cufod.

Taxonomy

Described as ''Cymbalaria'' by the English botanist,

John Hill John Hill may refer to: Business * John Henry Hill (1791–1882), American businessman, educator and missionary * John Hill (planter) (1824–1910), Scottish-born American industrialist and planter * John Hill (businessman) (1847–1926), Austral ...

in 1756.

Gallery

File:Cymbalaria hepaticifolia (14056415509).jpg, ''

'' File:Cymbalaria pallida 01.jpg, '' Cymbalaria pallida'' File:Cymbalaria aequitriloba.JPG, ''

'' File:Rozier - Cours d’agriculture, tome 3, pl. 18 cymbalaire.png, ''Cymbalaria'' File:Cymbalaria sp - Flickr - S. Rae.jpg, ''Cymbalaria'' sp.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q157937 Plantaginaceae Plantaginaceae genera Flora of Europe