Houndstongue, Cynoglossum officinale, Boraginaceae. Aka houndstooth, dog's tongue, gypsy flower, and rats and mice (due to its smell).

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Houndstongue, Cynoglossum officinale, Boraginaceae. Aka houndstooth, dog's tongue, gypsy flower, and rats and mice (due to its smell). It can be either annual or biennial. Leaves are greyish and softly haired, lanceolate to oblong. Reddish-purple funnel-shaped flowers bloom between May and September. Cynoglossum officinale contains tumorigenic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. It is toxic to cows and is especially dangerous to pasture owners. The name houndstongue (and the latin genus Cynoglossum) comes from the roughness of the leaf. In the UK it is found in dry calcareous locations such as the Chiltern hills.

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Size: 2808px × 3896px
Location: Knocking Hoe Nature Reserve, Bedfordshire, UK
Photo credit: © Florapix / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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