Specific Character and Synonyms.
ANTIRRHINUM alpinum foliis quaternis lineari-lanceolatis glaucis, caule diffuso, floribus racemosis, calcari recto. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 556. Ait. Hort. Kew. v. 2. p 335. Jacq. Fl. Austr. v. 1. t. 58.
ANTIRRHINUM caule procumbente breviter spicato, foliis verticillatis. Hall. Hist. p. 338.
LINARIA quadrifolia supina. Bauh. Pin. p. 213.
LINARIA tertia styriaca. Clus. Hist. 1. p. 322.
Professor Jacquin, in describing the flowers of this plant, calls them elegantissimi; and to one of its varieties Haller applies the epithet pulcherrima: such testimonies in its favour will, we presume, be sufficient to recommend it to our readers.
It is a native of various mountainous parts of Europe, affecting moist, stony situations,[5] and flowers during most of the summer: is a hardy perennial[6], according to the celebrated author of the Fl. Austriaca; Mr. Aiton, in his Hort. Kew. marks it as a biennial. It is nevertheless apt to be lost, like other small alpine plants, for want of proper treatment and care.
Mr. Aiton informs us on the authority of Lobel, that it was cultivated here by Mr. Hugh Morgan, in 1570.
May be propagated by cuttings, as well as by seeds, which however are not very plentifully produced with us.