The snapdragon flower, scientifically known as Antirrhinum majus, is a popular garden plant celebrated for its colorful, upright flower spikes. These blooms, which range across the spectrum of white, yellow, pink, and red hues, are cherished for their decorative appeal in both garden beds and floral arrangements. The distinctive common name, “snapdragon,” is a playful yet accurate description that captures two different aspects of the flower’s unique structure and interactive nature.
The Visual Link: Why It Looks Like a Dragon
The “dragon” part of the name comes directly from the static visual appearance of the individual flower. Each bloom is tubular and bilaterally symmetrical. This shape is described by botanists as “personate,” or masked, due to the way the upper and lower parts of the corolla are pressed together, giving the appearance of a closed mouth. The closed flower structure features a prominent upper lip and a pouch-like lower lip, which together strongly resemble the snout or face of a mythical dragon. This resemblance is so pronounced that in many other languages, the flower is given a similar common name, often referencing the mouth of a lion or a wolf. The ancient Romans, for instance, called the flower leonis ora, which translates to “lion’s mouth”.
The Mechanical Action: Explaining the “Snap”
The second half of the common name, “snap,” refers to a dynamic, interactive quality of the flower. The petals are fused in a way that creates a tension-filled hinge between the upper and lower lips of the corolla. If a person or a large pollinator, such as a bumblebee, gently squeezes the sides of the flower, the pressure causes the lower lip to drop. This action opens the flower like a jaw, revealing the stamens and pistil inside. When the pressure is released, the lips of the flower quickly spring back together, creating a snapping or popping motion that seals the corolla shut again. This mechanism is a specialized adaptation, requiring a strong insect to force its way in to reach the nectar.
The Scientific Name and Its Meaning
The formal scientific name for the common snapdragon, Antirrhinum majus, confirms that this characteristic appearance was recognized by early botanists. The genus name Antirrhinum is derived from ancient Greek, providing an etymological link to the flower’s snout-like shape. The name is a combination of two Greek root words: anti- and rhin-. The prefix anti- translates to “like” or “similar to,” while rhin- means “snout” or “nose”. Therefore, the genus name Antirrhinum literally means “like a snout” or “nose-like.” The species name majus simply means “larger,” distinguishing the common garden snapdragon from smaller varieties.