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Project Noah Nature School
Echium plantagineum
Plant with densely packed stems and lanceolate basal leaves arranged in rosettes. Leaves nearer the flowers were smaller and covered with hairs. Flowers were attractive with unevenly lobed, purplish-blue, funnel-shaped corolla. Two of the stamens protruded out of the flower.
Native to Portugal, this plant was initially introduced as an ornamental but spread rapidly. This plant was spotted on a sports field- the flowers glowing in the evening light!
Also known as Salvation Jane because it was used as fodder crop when all other grazing crops had died-off in the drought. The honey produced from flowers of this plant is said to be of a fine grade. Ob the negative side, it is poisonous to livestock without ruminant digestive systems and is considered an invasive weed because of its tendency to crowd-out more beneficial fodder crops. Biological controls are used to control this weed. Family: Boraginaceae
Spotted on Nov 1, 2013
Submitted on Jan 8, 2014
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