blue echium
Echium plantagineum L.
Echium plantagineum is a species in the Boraginaceae family, native to western and southern Europe, northern Africa, and southwestern Asia. It is commonly known as blue echium, purple viper's-bugloss, Paterson's curse, or Salvation Jane. The species was published by Linnaeus in 1771 and has been introduced to regions such as Australia, South Africa, and the United States, where it is considered an invasive weed. It is toxic to grazing livestock, particularly those with simple digestive systems, due to its high content of pyrrolizidine alkaloids.
Description
Echium plantagineum, a member of the Boraginaceae family, is native to parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia. It has been widely introduced and naturalized in several regions, including the United States, South Africa, and Australia, where it is regarded as an invasive species. The plant is known for its blue to purple flowers and is toxic to livestock, especially horses, due to the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. The species was first described by Linnaeus in 1771, and its nomenclatural history has been discussed in various taxonomic studies, including works by Lacaita, Qaiser, Perry, and McNeill. The plant is distributed across several regions, including Newfoundland, Portugal, the Azores, and Madeira.
Other common names
Purple Viper's-buglossSalvation janeblue echiumpurple echiumLady Campbell-weedRiverina bluebellPaterson's-curseblueweedpurple-buglossviper's-buglossPurple Buglosspurple viper's buglossviperinePaterson's curse
Distribution
Newfoundland · Manitoba · Ontario · Açores · Madeira · Portugal Continental · Faial Island · Flores Island · Graciosa Island · Pico Island · Santa Maria Island · São Jorge Island · São Miguel Island · Terceira Island · Desertas · Madeira Island · Porto Santo island · Selvagens · ZA · CL · IE · Belgium · Flemish Region · Walloon Region · BR · France · The Netherlands · Great Britain · GB · PK
Synonyms
Echium alonsoiEchium bonarienseEchium creticum subsp. plantagineumEchium diffusumEchium longistamineumEchium lycopsisEchium muraleEchium orientaleEchium plantagineum var. albaEchium plantagineum var. monodasystemonEchium plantaginifoliumEchium plantaginoidesEchium pseudoviolaceumEchium senneniiEchium violaceumEchium violaceum var. mediumEchium maritimum
