Linaria purpurea (L.) Mill. (Italy) – A rare but increasing escape from cultivation, locally naturalizing. Known since the 1990’s from Mont-Godinne (Dubucq 1992). Since then recorded in rather numerous, more or less widely dispersed localities but often ephemeral. Larger, more or less stable populations are known for instance from the old city walls in Ieper. An up-to-date overview of Belgian records is available here: http://waarnemingen.be/soort/view/9237.
This species produces a lot of seed and is frequently seen as an escape where-ever planted. It readily behaves like a weed, rather than as an ornamental. Especially on walls and other dry, stony habitats in urban areas it will probably become more widespread.
Similar behavior has been reported from neighboring territories, e.g. from the British Isles and the Netherlands (Denters 2004, Stace 2010).
A spontaneous hybrid with native Linaria repens has been documented from the British Isles, L. xdominii Druce (Stace 1982, Stace 2010).
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Selected literature:
Bonin G. & Viano J. (1971) Etude cytotaxinomique et écologique sur Linaria purpurea Mill. var. montana Caruel, endémique italienne. Ann. Fac. Sci. Marseille 44: 121-136.
Denters T. (2004) Stadsplanten. Veldgids voor de stad. Fontaine Uitgevers, ‘s-Graveland: 432 p.
Denters T. (s.d.) De nieuwe Amsterdammers: http://www.frontlinie.nl/floron/dna_scherm.pdf
Dubucq M. (1992) Linaria purpurea (L.) Miller à Mont-Godinne (province de Namur, Belgique). Nat. Mosana 45(2): 72.
Junghans T. (2007) Linaria purpurea L. neu für Baden-Württemberg. Floristische Rundbriefe 40: 59-62.
Petit D. (2008) Linaria purpurea (L.) Mill. au Musée du Terroir à Villeneuve d’Ascq Bull. Soc. Bot. N. Fr. 61(1-4): 54.
Stace C.A. (1982) Segregation in the natural hybrid Linaria purpurea (L.) Mill. x L. repens (L.) Mill. Watsonia 14(1): 53-57.
Stace C. (2010) New flora of the British Isles, 3th ed.: XXXII + 1232 p. Cambridge University Press.