Species name :

Kickxia spuria(L.) Dumort.
Published in Fl. Belg. 35 (1827)

Synonyms :
(basionym or principal syn.)

Linaria spuria (L.) Mill.

Full list of synonyms : [Euro+Med] [WFO] [IPNI] [POWO] [Catalogue of Life] [Worldplants.de]

Plant Family :

Plantaginaceae Juss. (The Plantain Family)
32 species from the Plantaginaceae family are recorded from the Maltese Islands.

English name(s) :

Round leaved Fluellen, Round-leaved Cancerwort, Blunt-leaved Fluellen

Maltese name(s) :

Xetbet l-art safra

Status for Malta :

Indigenous. Present on the Maltese islands before man

Frequency :

Very Common     Common    Frequent     Scarce     Rare    Very rare    Extinct

Growth form :

Germination type [info]: Dicotyledon
Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: Therophyte ( annual plants, herbaceous, die after fruiting/seeding stage )

Legal Protection :

Not legally protected till the last update of this website (22/Aug/2025)

Red List (1989) :

Not listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands

Flowering Time :

June – September

Colour of Flowers:

Yellow or Violet

Toxicity:

Not particularly toxic

Name Derivation :

Kickxia: Named for Jean Kickx (1775-1831), a professor of botany, pharmacy and mineralogy or perhaps for his son Jean Kickx (Jr.) (1803-1864) who was also a famous scientist. (Latin origin)

spuria: False or not being what it purports to be (hence spurious), previously used for the synonym plant name Antirrhinum spurium because the author reckoned that despite it was described as an Antirrhinum, it is likely in the wrong genus. Indeed later it was placed in its own genus - Kickxia. (Latin origin)

Planting in rural areas :

Can be planted in rural areas according to ERA Guidelines