ALKANET

Anchusa officinalis

Borage Family [Boraginaceae]

month8mar month8march month8apr month8april month8may month8jun month8june month8jul month8july

status
statusZneophyte
flower
flower8purple
inner
inner8white
morph
morph8actino
petals
petalsZ5
type
typeZspiked
stem
stem8round
sex
sexZbisexual

10th Aug 2015, Whittington Farm, Lichfield. Photo: © Mike Baldwin
The corolla is purplish-violet.


10th Aug 2015, Whittington Farm, Lichfield. Photo: © Mike Baldwin


10th Aug 2015, Whittington Farm, Lichfield. Photo: © Mike Baldwin


10th Aug 2015, Whittington Farm, Lichfield. Photo: © Mike Baldwin


10th Aug 2015, Whittington Farm, Lichfield. Photo: © Mike Baldwin


29th Aug 2014, unknown place. Photo: © Bastiaan Brak


29th Aug 2014, unknown place. Photo: © Bastiaan Brak
The tube is between 5 and 7mm and the extended part of the calyx or corolla (aka limb) between 7 to 15mm across.

The calyx is divided between about half-way to almost to its base (as opposed to being divided to the base in Garden Anchusa)



29th Aug 2014, unknown place. Photo: © Bastiaan Brak


29th Aug 2014, unknown place. Photo: © Bastiaan Brak


29th Aug 2014, unknown place. Photo: © Bastiaan Brak
The calyx lobes are acute in both Alkanet and in and Garden Anchusa (but obtuse to rounded in Yellow Alkanet - which has a yellow corolla)


29th Aug 2014, unknown place. Photo: © Bastiaan Brak


29th Aug 2014, unknown place. Photo: © Bastiaan Brak


Hybridizes with : Yellow Alkanet (Anchusa ochroleuca) to produce Anchusa × baumgartenii which is intermediate in hairiness and in the tips of the calyx-lobe. The corolla is either pale blue or greyish-yellow. The calyx is divided at less than half-way to the base. It is only partially fertile. It also forms back-crosses which have mostly yellow corollas.

Some similarities to : Garden Anchusa (Anchusa azurea) which have a bright-blue corolla which is the commonest Anchusa grown in gardens. It too is a neophyte and rather infrequently found on waster ground or rough ground and tips.


  Anchusa officinalis  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Boraginaceae  

Distribution
 family8Borage family8Boraginaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Anchusa
Anchusa
(Alkanets)

ALKANET

Anchusa officinalis

Borage Family [Boraginaceae]