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Purple Viper's Bugloss
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Purple Viper's Bugloss
ntroduced Photo: Gurcharan Singh
Common name: Purple Viper's Bugloss, lueweed, Lady Campbell Weed, Riverina Bluebell
Botanical name: Echium plantagineum    Family: Boraginaceae (Forget-me-not family)
Synonyms: Echium orientale, Echium lycopsis, Echium violaceum

Purple Viper's Bugloss is a plant native to western and southern Europe, northern Africa, and southwestern Asia. It is a winter annual plant growing to 20-60 cm tall, with rough, hairy, lanceolate leaves up to 14 cm long. Leaves oval to lanceolate, basal leaves, in a rosette, up to 20 cm long, with a short stalk, stem leaves reducing in size towards flowers.The flowers are purple, 1.5-2 cm long, with all the stamens protruding, and borne on a branched spike. It is distinguished by leaves with spreading hairs having an enlarged base, and flowers in caterpillar-like curved spikes; funnel-shaped flowers.

Identification credit: Gurcharan Singh
Photographed in Kashmir.
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