Anchusa officinalis L.
A. officinalis L., Sp. Pl., ed. 1 (1753) 133; Hayek, Prodr. Fl. Penins. Balc., II (1928) 61; Chater, Fl. Eur., Ill (1972) 107 — Лечебно винче
Anchusa officinalis L.
A. officinalis L., Sp. Pl., ed. 1 (1753) 133; Hayek, Prodr. Fl. Penins. Balc., II (1928) 61; Chater, Fl. Eur., Ill (1972) 107 — Лечебно винче
Fam: Boraginaceae Juss.
Genus: Anchusa L.
Species: Anchusa officinalis L.
English Name: Common bugloss, AlkanetDescription: Perennial - biennial plants. Stems 20 - 80 (-170) cm, erect. Leaves linear lance, lance elliptical, back lance or linear; lower leaves of the stem larger than the middle and upper, all on edge entire incorrect jagged. Flower stems up to 5 mm in fruit. Bracts equal to calyx or shorter, lance to linear lance. Calyx short or long hairy, 6 - 8 mm in flower and 9 - 10 mm in fruit, divided up 2/3 mm near its base of lance or linear lance, tapered shares. Corolla purple or reddish, rarely white or extended part blue and red tube. Tube 5 - 7 mm to 1,5 times longer than the calyx, the expaded part to funnel-shaped to discoid, 7 - 15 mm in diameter, with rounded partitions. The bar shorter than the calyx, apparently after loss of corolla; stamens protruding from the upper part of the corolla tube, reaching and partly overlapping scales of corolla. Wren 2 mm wide and 4 mm long, incorrect ovoid.
Volatility
1 Calyx devided to its middle part ...................................................................................................................................................................... 2
1* Calyx devided at least 2/3 of its length ............................................................................................................................................................. 4
2 Leaves extended lance to linear, flat edge; corolla violet or reddish; calyx 6 - 8 mm long, uniform fiber ……........ var. officinalis ...................... 3
2* Leaves short lance, often wavy edge; corolla with blue extended part and reddish tube; calyx 4 - 5 mm long, with long and short soft hairs .................... var. macedonica (Vel.) Gus., Bul. Fac. St. Gern., I (1927) 104; A. macedonica auct .. Vel., Fl. Bulg., Suppl. (1893) 97, non Deg. et Dorfl. (1897); A. hybrida var. macedonica (Vel.) Stoj. Stef., Fl. Bul., Ed. 1, II (1925) 904. Black Sea coast, Struma Valley, Valley River. Places Central and Eastern Rhodopes Thracian valley. Tundzha hilly plain, Strandzha.
3 Leaves lance ………………………………………….............................................................................………… f. officinalis. Widespread.
3* Leaves linear to linear lance …….............................................................................….. f. angustifolia Tausch, Fl. VII (I) (1824) 232 available.
4 Calyx with blunt linear units ………......................................................… var. urumovii Gus., Bulg. Fac. St. Gem. I (1927) 104 Thracian valley.
4* Calyx with linear lance, tapered shares ……… var. moesiaca (Vel.) Gu§., 1. c .; A. moesiaca Vel., Fl. Bulg., Suppl. (1893) 157; A. obliqua auct. Vis. Black Sea Coast (Bourgas) Struma Valley, Valley River Mesta, Places Central and Eastern Rhodope, Rila (Kocherinovo), Thracian Lowland, Tundzha hilly plain, Strandzha.From „Флора на НР България”, том II, БАН, София, (1964)
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Anchusa officinalis, commonly known as the common bugloss or alkanet, is a plant species in the genus Anchusa.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Leaves: Alternate. Basal leaves stalked, stalks winged. Stem leaves stalkless with broad attachment. Blade elliptic, hairy.
Fruit: 4-parted schizocarp. Mericarps elliptic, oblique, brown, granular surface, approx. 4 mm (0.15 in.) long.
Habitat: Loading places, yards, wasteland, roadsides, beside fields. Also ornamental and escape.
From: Flowering time: June–August.
Common bugloss comes from the steppes of South-eastern Europe. Its seeds have originally adapted to be spread by ants, but in Finland, for example, the species has arrived with human help. It established itself mainly in South-western Finland, in village roadsides, yards and ruins, when it was long ago cultivated for its medicinal properties. Common bugloss was used as a sedative and analgesic, and in larger doses as a laxative, and young leaves can also be chopped into salads or prepared like spinach. Nowadays the species is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant due to its beautiful flowers. The corolla mouth of many borage family plants is almost closed by protuberances, scales or hairs, which manifest as a clear difference in colour in common bugloss flowers. The point of this construction is to guide the proboscis of pollinating insects into the nectar in such a way that it unavoidably touches both the stigma and the stamen. Their unusual pale colour also means that they are clearly efficient signs for nectar. The funnel on bugloss corollas is longer than e.g. that of its forget-me-not or hound’s tongue relations, so the flower’s stores of nectar are only available to long-tongued insects.
The scientific name for the bugloss family has a long history. In ancient Greece the name Anchusa was used for many borage family plants – although not for buglosses whose name is derived from the Greek for ox’s tongue, Buglosson. Linné, who gave the plant its modern scientific name, intentionally deviated from the former understanding. The other bugloss that grows in Finland is small bugloss (A. arvensis), which has small, blue, horn-shaped flowers.
From Kasviatlas 2008, University of Helsinki
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Flowering Time: Blooms: VI - VII, fruitful VII - IX.
References: „Флора на НР България”, том II, БАН, София, (1964), Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Kasviatlas 2008, University of Helsinki
Distribution in Bulgaria: In dry grassy and rocky places, along roads and vineyards. Razproprostraneno, mostly south of the Balkan Mountains. (Conspectus of the Bulgarian Vascular Flora) = conspectus&gs_l= Zlc.
Distribution: Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus (Transcaucasia and Before Caucasian mountains), Southeast Asia (Asia Minor)
Conservation status and threats: not protected species in Bulgaria by the Biodiversity Law. - Biological Diversity Act - http://eea.government.bg/bg/legislation/biodiversity/zbran_22.08.15.pdf
Medical plant: yes, it is. - Medicinal Plants Act - http://eea.government.bg/bg/legislation/biodiversity/ZLR_en.pdf
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