Purple Toadflax

This is one that had me confused the first time I spotted it, I thought it was purple loosestrife when I first saw it, though it wasn't near water and was much smaller in size

 

 

unusual looking plant, but when you see it up close you can tell that it is related to snapdragons

 

it's a non native originally imported from the Mediterranean as it has mild medicinal properties though it is poisonous to livestock and so I'm sure to us also if not prepared properly.

 

Once used for scrofula and hepatitis and even as an enema, it has fallen by the wayside as a medicinal though it is of great benefit to our native moths being a great plant for Lepidoptera species.