Boraginaceae

Cynoglossum creticum

Common Names: Blue hound’s tongue

Plant Form: Biennial rosette herb. Size: Up to 60 cm tall. Stem: One or more upright flowering stems. Densely covered in fine hairs. Leaves: Long, narrow, dark green, up to 20 cm long, alternate along stem, decreasing in size further up. Heart-shaped base that is clasped around stem. Flowers: Tube shaped opening to pink to blue petals, up to 1 cm diameter. Fruit and Seeds: Each flower produces four nutlets covered with prickles, containing oval shaped 6-8 mm long seeds. Habitat: Grassland, open woodland, dunes, roadsides, pastures. Distinguishing Features: More erect stems than Forest hound’s-tongue (Austrocynoglossum latifolium). Larger flowers than Australian hound’s-tongue (Cynoglossum australe), Sweet hound’s-tongue (C. suaveolens) has whiter flowers. Impacts: Outcompetes native and crop species, can be toxic to livestock.

Flowers to scale

Flower petals have a darker network of lines

Leaves are simple and hairy

Seed pods are burr-like and form clusters