Weasel's-snout - Misopates orontium

Short, slightly branched plant, hairless below, but glandular hairy above. Leaves linear to elliptical, untoothed, the lower opposite, the upper alternate. Flowers pink, 10 to 15 mm, pouched at the base, scarcely stalked, borne in leafy racemes, the mouth of the corolla closed, calyx lobes equalling the corolla.

Records from this species should be confirmed by a County Recorder for botany.  It is very rare in VC55, and therefore a specimen should not be taken.  Take detailed field photos and submit to NatureSpot as soon as possible; and if you think you have found it in a new location, inform the County Recorder as soon you can. (RPR)

Arable fields, waste and bare places.

July to October.

Annual.  The pink flowers resemble a miniature snapdragon and are followed by a hairy green fruit which is said to resemble a weasel's snout giving rise to the common name.

Uncommon, with most records coming from southern Britain.

Rare in Leicestershire and Rutland; the only recent record is from Leire.

In the Flora of Leicestershire (Primavesi and Evans 1988) it was found in 2 of the 617 tetrads, but was not recorded in the Flora of Rutland (Messenger 1971).

It the VC55 checklist (Jeeves 2011) is is listed as alien (archaeophyte)