Echium  vulgare L.

Genus:  ECHIUM L.

Species:  Echium  vulgare L. 

English Name:  Viper's Bugloss or Blueweed

Description: 

Echium vulgare (Viper's Bugloss or Blueweed) is a species of Echium native to most of Europe, and western and central Asia. It is also common in North America.

It is a biennial or monocarpic perennial plant growing to 30–80 cm (12–31 in) tall, with rough, hairy, lanceolate leaves. The flowers start pink and turn vivid blue and are 15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) in a branched spike, with all the stamens protruding. The pollen is blue  but the filaments of the stamens remain red, contrasting against the blue flowers. It flowers between May and September. It is found in dry, bare and waste places.

Echium is grown as an oilseed crop because of the fatty acid composition of the seed oil. Like borage and evening primrose oil, it contains significant amounts of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), but it also contains the rarer stearidonic acid (SdA).

Flowering Time: June  -  July

Origin:   „Флора на НР България”, том IX, БАН, София, (1989)  

Distribution in Bulgaria: 

These plants grow on dry grassy and stony places, on balks, around roads as well in plains as in mountains in all appropriate floristic regions in Bulgaria. They be found from sea level up to 1500 m altitude

Distribution: 

Europe, Mediterranean, South- West Asia, Caucasus, Japan – China region. It is carry over onto North America.

It has been introduced to North America and is naturalised in parts of the continent, being listed as an invasive species in Washington.

Conservation status and threats:  not protected species in Bulgaria by theBiodiversity Law. Законодателство на Република България: Закон за биологичното разнообразие

Medical plant http://lex.bg/laws/ldoc/2134916096

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Echium vulgare 1.     Echium vulgare 2.    Echium vulgare 3.     Echium vulgare 4. 

Echium vulgare 5.     Echium vulgare 6.    Echium vulgare 7.     Echium vulgare 8.