Snapdragon, the common name for about 40 species of annual or
perennial herbs that grow in the temperate regions of the
Northern Hemisphere. They are erect or climbing plants ranging
in height from about six inches to five feet (15150 cm). The
leaves are oval or spear-shaped. The showy flowers may be white,
yellow, pink, red, or purple. They grow either singly or in
spiked clusters atop the plant's stems. The shape of the
snapdragon flower has been fancifully likened to that of a
dragon's head and it can be made to snap open by gently pinching
its sides.The snapdragon is a popular flowering plant. The
common snapdragon, native to the Mediterranean region, is a
popular garden and florist's flower in the United States. The
flowers of the many varieties of this plant range from red and
purple to white. Snapdragons make up the genus Antirrhinum of
the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. The common snapdragon is
A. majus.