Cretan viper's bugloss

Echium creticum L. is a species in the Boraginaceae family, distributed across regions including the United States, North Africa, and parts of Europe. It has been the subject of taxonomic discussion, with some scholars suggesting it should be rejected as a nomen confusum. However, it has been formally typified and is now generally accepted in the sense of E. australe Lam. The plant is native to the western Mediterranean Basin and is occasionally grown for ornamental purposes.