Who as a child has never played, at least once, with the mouths of lion? It was enough to slightly press the sides of the corolla, and that flower with an almost fairytale charm, with a thousand epithets (witch grass, dragon mouth, fairy skulls, just to name a few) turned into a tiny mouth that seemed to be animated.
However, who would have said that that innocent game hid such a disturbing side? When the flowers are dry and seed pods are dry, their appearance changes radically, revealing small figures similar to skulls.
A surprising, fascinating transition and, let’s face it, even a little disturbing.
An indefinable flower
The scientific name of the lion’s mouth, Antirrhinum Majus (plant that belongs to the family of Plantaginaceae) derives from the Greek and means “similar to a muzzle”, a name that pays homage to its bilateral structure, as intriguing as it is functional. In fact, we are not talking about a mere aesthetic whim wanted by Mother Nature, given that the segmented flowers of some species are designed to be pollined by robust bombs, while the most minute mellerifer bees cannot even scratch their “jaws”.
But magic does not end there. When the life of the flower comes to an end, what remains is a fruit capsule that guards the seeds: this, drying, takes on a surprisingly similar form to a small skull. A completely natural phenomenon that transforms a symbol of life into a death, such as wanting to remember the eternal cyclicality of existence.
When Leone’s mouth blooms
Leone’s mouth generally blooms in the summer, starting from spring – around the beginning of June – to last until autumn. In the milder climates as in Southern Italy it can winter and flourish the following year
From decoration to macabre element
It is no coincidence that these tiny skulls have found a place among the Halloween decorations, or in spectral themed events. The marked similarity with miniaturized skulls is so impressive that they often end up in the center of legends and rituals.
At one time it was even believed that a lion mouth placed in front of a mirror could reject the evil eye. Will it be true? Maybe yes, or maybe it’s just yet another gimmick of popular fantasy.
Stories and legends
Leone’s mouth is surrounded by stories that amplify its malia. A legend tells that Mother Earth made this flower blossom to pacify Venus and Pluto, engaged in a particularly heated dispute. A gift of peace that, with its summer blossom, seems to bring serenity to those who observe it.
And what about the language of flowers? Leone’s mouth represents indifference, perhaps because, in the Middle Ages, the girls used to adorn hair with these flowers to report their selfless elegance towards the suitors.
A message of life, death and rebirth
In nature, nothing is left to chance, and Leone’s mouth is a clear example.
The metamorphosis that distinguishes them, from a gentle flower to lugubrious skull, looks like a poetic warning: you are born, grow and age. Everything dies, and everything is reborn. Those little skulls are nothing more than custodians of a new life, ready to transform themselves once again into wonderful flowers.
