Kickxia spuria (L.) Dumort.

Scientific Nomenclature

Kickxia spuria (L.) Dumort. is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. It goes by several common names, including roundleaf cancerwort and round-leaved fluellen.

Native and Introduced Range

It is native to Europe and Asia, but has been introduced to other continents, where it sometimes grows as a noxious weed.

General Growth Form

This plant is a low, hairy herb with a creeping stem that produces many branches.

Leaf and Flower Arrangement

Rounded, fuzzy leaves grow at wide intervals along the stem, and it bears solitary snapdragon-like flowers.

Flower Morphology

Each flower grows up to 1.5 centimeters long, with a narrow, pointed spur extending from its back. The lobes of the flower's mouth are yellow, white, and deep purple, and the entire flower is covered in fine fuzz to hair.

Fruit Characteristics

Its fruit is a spherical capsule around 4 millimeters long.

Species Differentiation

This species is similar to its relative Kickxia elatine, but differs in leaf shape and its hairy flower stalk—Kickxia elatine has a bare flower stalk.