''Pentaglottis'' is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

genus of flowering plants in the family

Boraginaceae Boraginaceae, the Borago, borage or forget-me-not family, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees, and herbs in 146 to 154 genus, genera with a worldwide distribution. The APG IV system from 2016 classifies the Boraginaceae as single famil ...

. It is represented by a single species, ''Pentaglottis sempervirens'', commonly known as green alkanet or evergreen bugloss, and it is one of several related plants known as alkanet. It is a bristly,

perennial plant In horticulture, the term perennial (''wikt:per-#Prefix, per-'' + ''wikt:-ennial#Suffix, -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annual plant, annuals and biennial plant, biennials. It has thus been d ...

native to southwestern Europe, in northwest

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, compri ...

and France.

Description

''Pentaglottis sempervirens'' is a

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

, that has a deep

tap root A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproot ...

. It grows up to approximately tall with a roughly hairy stem. It has broadly ovate, or pointed oval leaves and the lower leaves have leaf stalks. Both the leaves and stem can cause skin irritation. It can retain its green leaves through the winter. Green alkanet blooms in spring and summer, while the ground is moist. It has pink

flower buds ''Flower Buds'' () is a 2011 Czech drama film written and directed by Zdeněk Jiráský. Plot The film is about the Hrdina family, who live in an industrial Czech border town. Jarda Hrdina is a middle-aged railway signalman who is deep in de ...

, that open up to brilliant blue or bright blue flowers with a white centre, approximately wide. There are 5 sepals. It has clusters of flowers, but only one flowering at a time. Its

stamens The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filamen ...

are hidden inside narrow flower-tubes which end in a white eye in the centre of a blue flower. The flowers are pollinated by bees and bumblebees, and the seed capsules can also be transported over some distances on passing animal fur or attached to clothing.

Taxonomy

It is commonly known as ''evergreen-bugloss'' and ''green alkanet''. The genus ''Pentaglottis'' was first published by Bohemian botanist

Ignaz Friedrich Tausch Ignaz Friedrich Tausch (29 January 1793, in Theusing – 8 September 1848) was a Bohemian botanist. He studied philosophy, medicine and natural sciences at the University of Prague, becoming an associate professor of economic and technical bota ...

(1793-1848), in Flora 12: 643 in 1829, then the species ''Pentaglottis sempervirens'' was first published by American botanist

Liberty Hyde Bailey Liberty Hyde Bailey (March 15, 1858 – December 25, 1954) was an American Horticulture, horticulturist and reformer of rural life. He was cofounder of the American Society for Horticultural Science.Makers of American Botany, Harry Baker Humphrey ...

(1858-1954) in Man. Cult. Pl., ed. 2: 837 in 1949. The genus name ''Pentaglottis'' is

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

, meaning "five tongues", and the species

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

of ''sempervirens'' is

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, and means "always alive", or "evergreen". The word "alkanet" derives from

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman Conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English pe ...

, from

Old Spanish Old Spanish (, , ; ), also known as Old Castilian or Medieval Spanish, refers to the varieties of Ibero-Romance spoken predominantly in Castile and environs during the Middle Ages. The earliest, longest, and most famous literary composition in O ...

''alcaneta'', diminutive of ''alcana'', "henna", from Medieval Latin ''alchanna'', from Arabic ''al-ḥinnā’'', "

henna Henna is a reddish dye prepared from the dried and powdered leaves of the henna tree. It has been used since at least the ancient Egyptian period as a hair and body dye, notably in the temporary body art of mehndi (or "henna tattoo") resulti ...

" : ''al-'': "the" + ''ḥinnā’'', "henna". The common name of "alkanet" is also used for dyer's bugloss (''

Alkanna tinctoria ''Alkanna tinctoria'', the dyer's alkanet or simply alkanet, is a herbaceous flowering plant in the borage family Boraginaceae. Its roots are used to produce a red dye. The plant is also known as dyers' bugloss, orchanet, Spanish bugloss, or Lan ...

'') and common bugloss (''

Anchusa officinalis ''Anchusa officinalis'', also knowns as common bugloss or common alkanet, is a species of flowering plant in the borage family. It is native to Europe and small parts of western Asia, but has been escaped from cultivation to grow in additional lo ...

''). The genus ''Pentaglottis'' has 2 known synonyms, ''Carylopha'' Fisch. & Trautv. and ''Caryolopha'' Fisch. & Trautv. The genus and species are accepted by GRIN (

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...

and the

Agricultural Research Service The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ARS is one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area. ARS is charged with ext ...

Distribution

The

native Native may refer to: People * '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood * '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Nat ...

range of this genus is south western Europe. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to France, Portugal and Spain. It was introduced into the countries (and regions) of Australia (with the state of Tasmania) Belgium, Canada (within the province of

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

), Czechoslovakia, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy and the United States (within the states of California, Maine, Oregon and Washington). Green alkanet is an

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived ther ...

in the

British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...

Habitat

It is found in woods and in hedge-banks, or in damp or shaded places and often close to some buildings. It likes

alkaline In chemistry, an alkali (; from the Arabic word , ) is a basic salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. An alkali can also be defined as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7.0. The ...

soils and is considered a weed in some parts of the UK. Image:Pentaglottis sempervirens0.jpg, Flower close-up Image:Pentaglottis sempervirens1.jpg, Stalk and flowers Image:Pentaglottis sempervirens.jpg, Flower close-up

Uses

The blue flowers of the green alkanet are edible, and are often used as a garnish for salads or drinks. Green alkanet roots are not edible. They contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are toxic to the liver, even when cooked. Although toxic if consumed in large quantities, the leaves have medicinal properties and were recommended for the treatment of coughs, digestive problems and fevers by

Nicholas Culpeper Nicholas Culpeper (18 October 1616 – 10 January 1654) was an English botanist, herbalist, physician and astrologer.Patrick Curry: "Culpeper, Nicholas (1616–1654)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford, UK: OUP, 2004) His boo ...

. The leaves are also an effective remedy for burns and ulcers when crushed and combined with

vinegar Vinegar () is an aqueous solution of diluted acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains from 5% to 18% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting ...

and

rose water Rose water, or rosewater, is a flavoured water created by steeping rose petals in water. It is typically made as a by-product during the distillation of rose petals to create rose oil for perfumes. Rose water is widely utilized to flavour cu ...

. In modern times the leaves and stems have been used by doctors to treat

staphylococcus ''Staphylococcus'', from Ancient Greek σταφυλή (''staphulḗ''), meaning "bunch of grapes", and (''kókkos''), meaning "kernel" or " Kermes", is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria in the family Staphylococcaceae from the order Bacillale ...

.Weed weekly
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External links

Plants For A Future ''Pentaglottis sempervirens''

References

Boraginoideae Plant dyes Boraginaceae genera Monotypic Boraginales genera {{Boraginoideae-stub