Leon's mouth

Introduction

Velvety and elegant, snapdragon flowers decorate gardens and parks with their colorful and iridescent garments, so much so that they do not go unnoticed. The name Leon's mouth it refers to the particular and original structure of the floral corolla, bilabate, tubular and tortuous, presenting a sort of lips. This flower, in addition to seducing insects, attracts the attention of many children who, fascinated by its shape, choke it sideways - albeit always delicately - with their fingers in order to open the petals; in doing so, the "lion" seems open his mouth wide.

In botany, snapdragon is known as Antirrhinum majus, term attributed to the flower by Linnaeus; analyzing the botanical genre from the etymological point of view, it is observed that the literal meaning refers precisely to a form similar (from the Greek anti) to a snout (from the Greek rhin), referring precisely to a lion's snout (or nose). Considering that the petals are comparable to lips that open, the name changed into the "current" snapdragon ".

Botanical analysis

The snapdragon is an "exponent of the Scrofulariacee, the same family to which the Digitalis purpurea: it is a perennial herbaceous plant grown as an annual, native to the lands bordering the Mediterranean.
In the Bel Paese, snapdragons grow in rather arid and stony soils, thus painting the vegetation with splendid colors.
The snapdragon, a suffruticose and hairy plant, has an erect trunk with a quadrangular section, fleshy (towards the apex) and lignified at the base, which generally does not grow more than 50 centimeters in height. The stem is covered with lanceolate leaves of rather small dimensions (max. 3 cm in width and 8 in length): it is good to distinguish the leaves of the caule from the basal ones; the caulins have no petiole, are whole and pubescent, while the basal ones are spatulate, opposite and also sessile.
The fruits are capsules inside which crested and oval seeds are located.
We now come to describe the most interesting part of the plant: the flower. Snapdragons are hermaphrodites (both male and female), divided into four sections and have a bilateral symmetry (zygomorphs); the colors are many, different according to the variety: the spontaneous ones are generally white or pink, the cultivated ones can be of any color. The flowers do not exceed 6 centimeters in length.
Snapdragons love hot temperatures, in summer it is recommended to expose them to sunlight, which guarantees a lavish flowering.

Property

Due to its beauty and chromatic multivariety, the snapdragon is cultivated above all for ornamental purposes; in any case, the plant can also be exploited for therapeutic purposes, due to its richness in glucosylated iridoids, comparable to aucubin (plantain). The result is a possible antihistamine and antiallergic effect, made not by single molecules but by the entire phytocomplex.
Generally, the drug consists of leaves and flowers, and is mostly used in the form of infusions and decoctions.
In addition to iridoids, the plant contains mucilages and glycosides in general, thus ensuring a "soothing, emollient, diaphoretic, diuretic and anti-inflammatory action: the medicinal virtues associated with snapdragon find practical confirmation in the topical treatment of erythema and burns, while taken under form of infusion, it is useful for relieving inflammation in general, and ulcers of the oral cavity in particular.
In the past, snapdragon was useful in cosmetics.
With the exception of individual hypersensitivity, no contraindications are found at therapeutic doses.

Summary

Snapdragon: TO FIX CONCEPTS

Snapdragon: name The name Leon's mouth refers to the particular structure of the floral corolla, bilabate, tubular and tortuous, presenting a sort of lips
In botany, snapdragon → Antirrhinum majus: anti = similar + rhin = snout → nose similar (to the lion)
Petals → compared to lips which, when gently choked, seem to open wide like a lion's mouth Snapdragon: botanical description

• Botanical name: Antirrhinum majus
• Family: Scrofulariacee
• Short description: perennial herbaceous plant cultivated as an annual, native to the lands bordering the Mediterranean
• Soil: dry and stony
• Stem: erect with a quadrangular section, fleshy (towards the apex) and lignified at the base
• Height: 50 cm
• Leaves: rather small lanceolate (max. 3 cm in width and 8 in length)
• Cauline leaves: they have no petiole, whole and pubescent
• Apical leaves: spatulate, opposite and also sessile
• Fruits: capsules inside which crested and oval seeds are located
• Flowers: hermaphrodite, zygomorphic and divided into four sections
• Climate: they love warm temperatures

Snapdragon: chemical molecules

• Glucosylated iridoids, comparable to aucubin
• Mucilage
• Glycosides in general

Snapdragon: therapeutic virtues

• Antihistamines
• Antiallergic
• Lenitive
• Emollients
• Diaphoretic
• Diuretic
• Anti-inflammatory

Snapdragon: medicinal uses Topical treatment of erythema and sunburn
Relieves mouth ulcers (decoction-infusion)
Relieves inflammation in general (decoction-infusion) Snapdragon: drug Snapdragon leaves and flowers
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