Maltese Venus's Looking-glass (leafy form)
A form of Venus's looking-glass described from Malta and not seen in the wild for decades. Botanists doubt it is a separate plant.
Venus's looking-glass (Legousia hybrida) is a variable annual wildflower of the bellflower family, with violet or reddish flowers in March to May. The variety foliosa was described from the Maltese Islands and presumed to be found only here.
The local flora explains that no classification recognises this variety. It was most likely a slightly different population within the variable range of Legousia hybrida. It appears in old records and has not been seen in the wild in Malta for a couple of decades, so it is reported extinct.
The Online Flora of the Maltese Islands asks anyone who believes they have found it to send details and photographs.
Text: Wikipedia; Online Flora of the Maltese Islands, licence CC BY-SA 4.0. Edited by the Editorial Team.
