CYNOGLOSSUM COLUMNAE

Family:- BORAGINACEAE

Common Names:- None

Synonyms:- Mattia columnae, Rindera columnae.

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

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

Columnae (L) Named after the Italian botanist Fabio Colanna.

General description:- Fairly robust short to medium, softly hairy biennial

Stems:-

a) (15-)25-45(-60) cm.

b) angular, erect, branched above.

c) covered with stiff or coarse hairs (hirsute).

Leaves:-

1) Cauline;

a) oblong to lanceolate.

b) clasping the stem, but not completely encircling it (amplexicaul).

c) stalkless (sessile).

d) more or less covered with short, dense, matted hairs (tomentose) on both

surfaces.

Flowers:- Borne in a

1) Cymes:

a) branched flat-topped or convex bractless (ebracteate) flower clusters. which

elongate in fruit.

2) Calyx-lobes:

a) c. 5 mm.

b) ovate.

c) hirsute.

3) Corolla:

a) 5-6 mm.

b) purplish to deep blue.

d) tube, broadly cylindrical.

4) Stamens:

a) inserted in upper part of the tube.

Fruit:-

1) Nutlets:

a) 7-10 mm diam.

b) with a thickened edge giving a distinct border.

c) beset with barbed bristles (glochidia) on the disc, shorter than those on the

margin.

Key features:-

1) Cymes ebracteate (rarely bracteate at the base).

2) Nutlets 7-10 mm diam.

Habitat:- Rocky slopes with dry open shrubby vegetation. Open woodland and

meadows, mainly over limestone, 0-1500 m.

Distribution:- Fairly common throughout Greece except in most of the NE. - C & E

Mediterranean region from ltaly to W Anatolia. Widespread and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Feb-June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton