CYNOGLOSSUM CRETICUM

Family and Genus:- See- BORAGINACEAE

Common Names:- Blue houndstongue

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Cynoglossum (Gr) Hound's-tongue, a name used by the Greek

physician Dioscorides' to describe the rough texture of the leaf.

Creticum (L) Cretan, from Crete.

General description:- Fairly robust medium to tall, softly hairy biennial. stems

angular, erect, branched above.

Stems:-

1) (20-)30-60 cm, hirsute or tomentose.

Leaves:-

1) Cauline, oblong to lanceolate, subsessile to semi-amplexicaul, densely

tomentose on both surfaces

Flowers:-

1) Cymes, branched flat-topped or convex ebracteate flower clusters, elongating in

fruit.

2) Calyx-lobes, 6-8 mm, oblong, hirsute.

3) Corolla, 7-9 mm, purplish in bud, but opening blue, with conspicuous deeper

inky-blue or purple reticulate venation.

a) tube, broadly funnel-shaped.

4) Stamens, inserted in the upper part of the tube.

Fruit:-

1) Nutlets, 5-7 mm diam, ovoid, without a distinct border; external face convex,

glochidiate,

Key features:-

1) Leaves, densely hairy to tomentose on both surfaces.

2) Corolla 7-9 mm, with reticulate venation.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Seasonally damp spots in dry open shrubby vegetation, olive groves, road

embankments and ruderal habitats, generally 0-700 m.

Distribution:- Throughout Greece. - Mediterranean region and SW Asia, through

Anatolia to Iran, Pamir and Tien Shan. Widespread and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Feb-June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton