Tag: Viper’s-bugloss

This week I would like to talk about most of our native genera of the Boraginaceae or Borage Family. This is family number 114 in Stace.

My customers sometimes complain about 2 members of the Borage family: the Green Alkanet; scientifically known as Pentaglottis.

To a less extend they complain about the abundance of seedlings of Forget-me-nots in their gardens, but I think that is just showing off! As who can be upset when you see all that magnificent blue; they are all wonderful weeds really!

All there uses and benefits will be explained in this as well as in the next post, which is entirely about the Comfrey.

Pictures by Matt Summers, unless stated.

Blue background is for general interest, Pink as a warning or medicinal use and green background for all other known uses such as food and wildlife. Please use the jump links in the contents below also for quick access. Ecology information from PlantAtlas 2020 Online, Wikipedia

Contents

General Anatomy of the Boraginaceae

Pentaglottis sempervirens  or Green Alkanet

•  Various Uses: 

Myosotis or the Forget-me nots

• M. sylvatica or Wood Forget-me-not

Ornamental Use

• M. scorpioides or The Water-Forget-me-not

Cynoglossum officinale or Houndstongue

Medicinal Use and Warning

• Cynoglossum germanicum or Green Hound’s-tongue

Echium vulgare or Viper’s-bugloss

• Echium plantagineum or Purple Viper’s Bugloss

Warning

Mertensia maritima or Oysterplant

Lithospermum spp. or Gromwell

• Lithospermum officinale or Common Gromwell

• Aegonychon purpureocaeruleum or Purple/ Field Gromwell

Pulmonaria spp. or Lungworts

• Pulmonaria obscura or Suffolk Lungwort
• Pulmonaria officinalis or Lungwort

Continue reading “The Boraginaceae or Borage Family and their uses: Green Alkanet, Forget-me-not, Houndstongue, Viper’s-bugloss, Oysterplant, the Gromwells and Lungworts!”