[173] Helminthotheca echioides, Bristly Oxtongue
Introduction
Helminthotheca echioides, Bristly Oxtongue (or Ox-tongue), is one of many common and widespread weeds that look like Dandelions.
The four other species of Helminthotheca (all much more local to the Western Mediterranean area) are also called Oxtongue.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Plants
Division – Vascular Plants
Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
Order – Asterales
Family Asteraceae
Tribe – Cichorieae
Subtribe – Hypochaeridinae
Genus – Helminthotheca
Scientific Name – Helminthotheca echioides
Name
The name Bristly Oxtongue comes, obviously from the spiky leaves. Helminthotheca comes from its traditional use as a treatment for worms.
Echioides relates to the genus [121] Echium, which derives its common name by circular reference! As you will remember, Echium vulgare is Viper’s Bugloss and Bugloss comes from the Ancient Greek for ox-tongue!
Description
The tribe Cichorieae has about two thousand species and is sometimes called the Dandelion Tribe as most of them look superficially like [338] Dandelions.
(We have already met [081] Chicory, with blue flowers that are not confused with Dandelions,)
Bristly Oxtongue in flower look very much like Dandelion but the leaves, stems and branches are covered in spiky bristles.
Habitat and use
Bristly Oxtongue is native to the Mediterranean area but has widely naturalised in the South and East of England.
Helminthotheca echioides has traditionally been used as a treatment for worms.
See also
As I have said before there are thousands of similar species in the Aster family.
The Species of Britain 