[254] Pentaglossis sempervivens, Green Alkanet

[254] Pentaglossis sempervivens, Green Alkanet

Introduction

Pentaglossis sempervivens, Green Alkanet, is a common evergreen wildflower with small, pretty blue flowers. It may also be called Evergreen Bugloss or just Alkanet.

Confusingly, several related species may be called Alkanet. Alkanna tinctoria and other species of Alkanna are Alkanet. Anchusa officinalis may be called Alkanet or Common Bugloss. Lithospermum arvense is Bastard Alkanet; Anchusa barrelieri is False Alkanet; Anchusa ochreleuca is Yellow Alkanet. All of these are from the same family as Pentaglossis.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Order – Boraginales

Family – Boraginaceae

Genus – Pentaglossis

Scientific Name – Pentaglossis sempervivens

Name

Alkanet is derived via Middle English from Arabic al-hinna so is cognate with henna. The dye henna comes from an unrelated species but the species originally named as Alkanet, Alkanna tinctoria, was probably so named because of its use as a dye.

See [121] Viper’s Bugloss for the derivation of bugloss. (It’s not bug loss!)

Penta-glossis means five-tongues and semper-vivens means always-alive (evergreen.)

Description

Green Alkanet is a low-growing, spreading, evergreen perennial plant with large dark green leaves

Stems, leaves and buds are hairy in appearance.

Its small blue flowers emerge in Spring and early Summer.

Habitat

Green Alkanet is native to Western Europe but it is considered an introduced species in the British Isles. It was introduced into gardens before 1700 and was already recorded in the wild by the early Eighteenth Century. It is now commonly seen in hedgerows throughout most of England and Wales and some parts of Scotland.

It can be planted as an ornamental plant but is more likely to be seen as an invasive weed. It spreads from a deep tap-root and by self-seeding.

Other Notes

It’s hard to see this as introduced because it is so common in the wild. It may be more evident as a wildflower because of its blue flowers.

See also

I have seen the flowers described as like [233] Forget-me-nots and they are quite similar.

[121] Echium vulgare, Viper’s Bugloss

[121] Echium vulgare, Viper’s Bugloss

Echium plantagineum, Purple Viper’s Bugloss

Introduction

Echium vulgare, Viper’s Bugloss, and Echium plantagineum, Purple Viper’s Bugloss, are two similar species of common wildflowers with lots of blue flowers.

They should not be confused with Hadena irregularis, the Viper’s Bugloss, a moth whose caterpillar feeds on Echium vulgare and related plants.

Other species of Echium and the related species Anchusa, Amsinkia, Alcanna and Brunnera are also called Bugloss.

Echium vulgare is also known as Blueweed. In Australia Echium plantagineum has the alternative name Paterson’s Curse or Salvation Jane.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Order – Boraginales

Family – Boraginaceae

Genus – Echium

Scientific Name – Echium vulgare, Echium plantagineum

Name

By now, you should expect the unexpected when it comes to names. Bugloss has nothing to do with losing bugs. It comes from the Greek ‘bouglosson’ meaning ox-tongue. I can’t find why it is called this, but it is probably because of its rough, hairy leaves. See [173] Helminthotheca echioides, Bristly Ox-tongue (which derives its species epithet from Echium!).

The reference to vipers is not clear. One theory is that the fruits are shaped as a viper’s head. Another is that the forked style of the flower resembles a viper’s tongue. Also, the plant roots also used to be used to treat snake bites.

Echium comes from ‘echis,’ the Greek word for viper. Vulgare, of course, means common. Plantagineum relates to [271] Plantago, Plantains, which have similar leaves.

Description

As wild plants, these are the ones to give the greatest displays of blue flowers. Echium vulgare has a single stem covered by all-round flowers.

Echium plantagineum is bushier, with perhaps a more purple colour.

Habitat and use

Echium vulgare is native to Europe including the UK and temperate Asia but has been introduced elsewhere, generally becoming naturalized and often invasive.

Echium plantagineum is native to parts of Europe, Asia and north Africa, including the south of England. It has also become invasive in places, especially Australia.

Both species are cultivated as garden plants (and some other Echium species.) Several cultivars are available, including some with white flowers.

Other Notes

Echium plantagineum was introduced to Australia in the 1880s as an ornamental plant and as an accidental contaminant of seeds. It has spread wildly and is sometimes used as a fodder plant but is poisonous to horses. Both of its Australian names probable come from Jane Paterson or Patterson, an early settler. It is now a widespread noxious weed in several states of Australia,

Most of the wildflowers I see are in relatively recently cultivated areas of meadow plants in our local plants so I can’t be sure whether are wild varieties or cultivated varieties. These two species and other Echium have cultivated varieties and when this happens it is not so easy to identify the exact species.

See also

Not in any way related are the Bristly Ox-tongue and [359] Viper.