There are several species of Fumitory, there are about ten in Britain, the commonest is simply called Common Fumitory, however this is less likely to be found on walls, more likely on a field margin.
The ones that can be encountered on walls are called Ramping Fumitories and there are six different species of these, they tend to be more robust and have larger flowers than the Common Fumitory. So that accounts for sevenspecies. The other three are less robust than Common Fumitory and again are often arable weeds so not associated paricularly with walls. These are called Dense Flowered Fumitory, Fine-leaved Fumitory and Few Flowered Fumitory.
The Ramping Fumitories of which there are six, as I said, are called Common Ramping Fumitory,Tall Ramping Fumitory, Martin’s Ramping Fumitory, Purple Ramping Fumitory, White Ramping Fumitory and Western Ramping Fumitory. Two of these (Martin’s and Western are very rare and both are only found in Cornwall. So this narrows it down to just 4.
All Fumitories are very similar, they are all annuals and all spread out and have small purplish flowers. This makes the identification quite difficult. Their flowers are borne on a spike and are to a greater or lesser extent purple. The individual flowers are like little tubes which split at the opening into a two lipped arrangement. The photograph shows a Ramping Fumitory, how do we know? Because Common Fumitory has longer spikes with normally more than20 flowers in a spike, this has about 14 per spike.
The flowers of Common Ramping Fumitory tend to be purple all over allbeit a darker purple towards the tip. Tall Ramping Fumitory tends to grow taller but thats not much good for ID unless you have the two side by side to compare. The key diagnostic featue is that in Tall Ramping Fumitory the flowes are almost white at the base and become more purple towards the tip. Purple Ramping Fumitory as indivdual flowers which are more purple and also purple all over and finally White Ramping Fumitory as you would expect has flowers which are predominantly white, creamy white in fact with just a purple tip pointing out at the end of the flower tube. Simple! so I think the illustrated flower is Tall Ramping Fumitory.
F. muralis is the Common Ramping Fumitory and the most likey one to be found on walls it is native to temperate and Mediterranean regions of western Europe and western North Africa. It also grows in open bare patches and is considered a weed of pastures, roadsides, gardens, footpaths, coastal shrub lands and disturbed areas. The scientific name ‘muralis’ suggests it likes walls.
Tall Ramping Fumitory (Fumaria bastardii) is more likely found as a weed in fields and has a much smaller range, being western and coastal.
Incidentally the name Fumitory comes fom the grey green leaves and the spreading habit of the plant which vaguely looks like smoke close to the ground…. you need plenty of imagination but then thinking up different names for all the thousnds of flowers probly demands that so the etymology is thus Middle English fumeterre, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin fumus terrae, literally, smoke of the earth, from Latin fumus + terrae, genitive of terra earth. So now you know. Also as with many plants it had medicinal uses and one was to treat eyes and Pliny says that rubbing the juice into the eyes causes them to water like smoke had got into your eyes ! ? However I would think the juice of most plants when rubbed into your eyes wouls cause then to water.
This article is incomplete it needs to be linked to a famous or interesting wall that has Fumitory growing on it. Any suggestions?
Walls and Flowers 