Echium vulgare

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Viper's Bugloss
Viper's Bugloss in flouer
Scientific classification
Kinrick: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Boraginales
Faimily: Boraginaceae
Genus: Echium
Species: E. vulgare
Binomial name
Echium vulgare

Echium vulgare (Viper's Bugloss or Blueweed)[1] is a species o Echium native tae maist o Europe, an wastren an central Asie.[2][3] It is an aa common in North Americae.[1]

It is a biennial or monocarpic perennial plant growin tae 30–80 cm (12–31 in) taw, wi rough, hairy, lanceolate leaves. The flouers stairt pink an turn vivid blue an are 15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) in a branched spike, wit aw the stamens protrudin. The pollen is blue [4] but the filaments o the stamens remain reid, contrasting against the blue flouers. It flouers atween Mey an September. It is foond in dry, bare an waste places.[5]

It haes been introduced tae North Americae an is naituralised in pairts o the continent, being leetit as an invasive species in Washington.[3]

Echium is grown as an oilseed crop because o the fatty acid composeetion o the seed ile. Lik borage an evening primrose ile, it contains signeeficant amoonts o Gamma-Linolenic acid, but it an aa contains the rarer stearidonic acid (SdA).[6]

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References[eedit | eedit soorce]

  1. a b Dickinson, T.; Metsger, D.; Bull, J.; & Dickinson, R. (2004) ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario. Toronto:Royal Ontario Museum, p. 203.
  2. Flora Europaea: Echium vulgare
  3. a b Germplasm Resources Information Network: Echium vulgare Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Dorothy Hodges (1952). The pollen loads of the honeybee. Bee Research Association Ltd., London.
  5. Fitter, R. & A. (1974). The Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe. Collins.
  6. National Non-Food Crops Centre. "Echium" Archived 2009-11-16 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved on 2009-03-26