Anchusa

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Boraginales

Familia: Boraginaceae
Subfamilia: Boraginoideae
Tribus: Boragineae
Subtribus: Boragininae
Genus: Anchusa
Species: A. aegyptiaca – A. affinis – A. arvensis – A. atlantica – A. azurea – A. calcarea – A. capensis – A. cespitosa – A. crispa – A. formosa – A. gmelinii – A. iranica – A. konyaensis – A. leptophylla – A. milleri – A. montelinasana – A. ochroleuca – A. officinalis – A. ovata – A. procera – A. pseudoochroleuca – A. puechii – A. pusilla – A. samothracica – A. sardoa – A. strigosa – A. stylosa – A. thessala – A. tiberiadis – A. undulata
Nothospecies: A. × digenea – A. × thirkeana
Names in possible synonymy: A. leucantha
Name

Anchusa L., Sp. Pl. 1: 133. (1753); Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 64 (1754).

Lectotype: Anchusa officinalis L., 1753 (designated by Hitchcock 1929: Prop. Brit. Bot.: 127)

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Echioides Fabr., Enum. 1: 43. (1759).
Lycopsis L., Sp. Pl. 1: 138. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 68 (1754).
Lectotype: Lycopsis arvensis L., 1753 (designated by Hitchcock 1929: Prop. Brit. Bot.: 128

Note: The later synonymy is not universally accepted – see Discussion Page.
Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Europe
Regional: Northern Europe
Denmark, Finland, Føroyar, Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, Sweden.
Regional: Middle Europe
Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland.
Regional: Southwestern Europe
Baleares, Corse, France, Portugal, Sardegna, Spain.
Regional: Southeastern Europe
Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Romania, Sicilia, Turkey-in-Europe, Yugoslavia.
Regional: Eastern Europe
Belarus, Baltic States, Krym, Central European Russia, East European Russia, North European Russia, South European Russia, Northwest European Russia, Ukraine.
Continental: Africa
Regional: Northern Africa
Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia.
Regional: Macaronesia
Canary Islands, Madeira.
Regional: West-Central Tropical Africa
Cameroon.
Regional: Northeast Tropical Africa
Eritrea, Ethiopia.
Regional: Southern Africa
Cape Provinces, Lesotho, Namibia, Free State, Northern Provinces.
Continental: Asia-Temperate
Regional: Siberia
Altay, West Siberia.
Regional: Russian Far East
Amur, Magadan, Primorye, Sakhalin.
Regional: Middle Asia
Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Turkmenistan, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan.
Regional: Caucasus
North Caucasus, Transcaucasus.
Regional: Western Asia
Afghanistan, Cyprus, East Aegean Islands, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon-Syria, Palestine, Sinai, Turkey.
Regional: Arabian Peninsula
Gulf States, Saudi Arabia, Yemen.
Regional: China
Hainan, Inner Mongolia, China North-Central, Qinghai, Tibet, Xinjiang.
Regional: Mongolia
Mongolia.
Continental: Asia-Tropical
Regional: Indian Subcontinent
Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, West Himalaya.
Continental: Northern America
Regional: Western Canada
Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan.
Regional: Eastern Canada
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Québec.
Regional: Northwestern U.S.A.
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming.
Regional: North-Central U.S.A.
Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin.
Regional: Northeastern U.S.A.
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island.
Regional: Southwestern U.S.A.
California, Utah.
Regional: South-Central U.S.A.
Texas.
Regional: Southeastern U.S.A.
Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, District of Columbia.
Continental: Southern America
Regional: Southern South America
Argentina Northeast, Argentina South.
Note: Grey script indicates introduced occurrences.

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species Plantarum. Tomus I: 133. Reference page.
Linnaeus, C. 1754. Genera Plantarum, ed. 5: 64. Reference page.

Additional references

Bigazzi, M., Nardi, E. & Selvi, F. 1997. Anchusella, a new genus of Boraginaceae from the Central-Eastern Mediterranean. Plant Systematics and Evolution 205(3–4): 241–264. DOI: 10.1007/BF01464408 Reference page.
Cohen, J.I. 2013 (Online) 2014 (Print). A phylogenetic analysis of morphological and molecular characters of Boraginaceae: evolutionary relationships, taxonomy, and patterns of character evolution. Cladistics 30(2): 139–169. DOI: 10.1111/cla.12036 Reference page.
Hilger, H.H., Selvi, F., Papini, A. & Bigazzi, M. 2004. Molecular systematics of Boraginaceae tribe Boragineae based on ITS1 and trnL sequences, with special reference to Anchusa s.l. Annals of Botany 94(2): 201–212. DOI: 10.1093/aob/mch132 PDF Reference page. (excluding Lycopsis)
Hitchcock, A.S. & Green, M.L. 1929. Standard species of Linnaean genera of Phanerogamae (1753–1754). pp. 111–195. In: Sprague, T.A. (ed.): International Botanical Congress. Cambridge (England), 1930. Nomenclature. Proposals by British Botanists. His Majesty's Stationery Office, London. Biblioteca Digital Reference page.
Kadereit, J.W., Albach, D.C., Ehrendorfer, F., Galbany Casals, M., Garcia-Jacas, N., Gehrke, B., Kadereit, G., Kilian, N., Klein, J.T., Koch, M.A., Kropf, M., Oberprieler, C., Pirie, M.D., Ritz, C.M., Röser, M., Spalik, K., Susanna, A., Weigend, M., Welk, E., Wesche, K., Zhang, L.-B. & Dillenberger, M.S. 2016. Which changes are needed to render all genera of the German flora monophyletic? Willdenowia 46(1): 39–91. DOI: 10.3372/wi.46.46105 PDF Reference page.

Links

Hassler, M. 2018. Anchusa. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2018. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2018 Nov. 1. Reference page. circumscribes Anchusa s.s.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2022. Anchusa in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2022 May 18. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2022. Anchusa. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 18 May 2022.
International Plant Names Index. 2022. Anchusa. Published online. Accessed: 18 May 2022. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2022. World Plants. Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. . Anchusa. Accessed: 18 May 2022.
Euro+Med 2006 onwards: Anchusa in Euro+Med PlantBase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published online. Accessed: 2022 May 18.

Vernacular names
العربية: لسان الثور
azərbaycanca: Sümürgən
беларуская: Пакрывец
čeština: prlina, pilátThe genus Anchusa belongs to the borage family (Boraginaceae). It includes about 35 species[2] found growing in Europe, North Africa, South Africa and Western Asia. They are introduced in the United States.

They consist of annual plants, biennial plants and perennial plants with the general characteristics of the borage family. They are commonly herbaceous. The leaves are simple or undulate, covered with stiff hairs.

The small radially symmetrical flowers are sapphire blue and retain their colour a long time. The plants show numerous flowers with five sepals, united at their bases, and five petals forming a narrow tube facing upwards. The flowers grow in several axillary cymes, simple or branched, or are clustered at the end. The flowers are much frequented by bees.

The genus Anchusa is commonly used in trough or rock gardens.[2]

The roots of Anchusa (just like those of Alkanna and Lithospermum) contain anchusin (or alkanet-red), a red-brown resinoid colouring matter. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in alcohol, chloroform and ether.

Anchusa species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora pennella.
Taxonomy

There are four subgenera: Buglossum, Buglossoides, Buglossellum and Anchusa.

The first two form one subclade, the other two each a separate subclade. The subclade of the subgenus Anchusa (containing Anchusa capensis) is largely unresolved.

If we consider Anchusa s.l., then it includes the subgenus Limbata, which diverges markedly in its floral morphology.

The subgenera Buglossum, Buglossellum and Buglossoides clearly need new independent entities, while the subgenus Anchusa needs a narrower concept. This way taxonomy and phylogeny with respect to Anchusa can become completely analogous.
Species

35 species are accepted.[1]

Anchusa aegyptiaca (L.) A.DC.
Anchusa affinis R.Br. ex DC.
Anchusa arvensis (L.) M.Bieb. – small bugloss, bugloss, annual bugloss
Anchusa atlantica Ball
Anchusa azurea Mill. – Italian bugloss, large blue alkanet
Anchusa azurea var. azurea
Anchusa azurea var. kurdica (Guşul.) D.F.Chamb.
Anchusa azurea var. macrocarpa (Boiss. & Hohen.) D.F.Chamb.
Anchusa × baumgartenii (Nyman) Guşul.
Anchusa calcarea Boiss.
Anchusa capensis Thunb. – Cape bugloss, Cape forget-me-not
Anchusa cespitosa Lam.
Anchusa cretica Mill.
Anchusa crispa Viv. (status vulnerable to endangered in France and Italy)
Anchusa × digenea Guşul.
Anchusa dinsmorei Rech.f.
Anchusa formosa Selvi, Bigazzi & Bacch. – Sardinia
Anchusa gmelinii Ledeb.
Anchusa hybrida Ten.
Anchusa iranica Rech.f. & Esfand.
Anchusa konyaensis Yıld.
Anchusa leptophylla Roem. & Schult.
Anchusa leucantha Selvi & Bigazzi – Greece
Anchusa milleri Lam. ex Spreng.
Anchusa montelinasana Angius, Pontec. & Selvi
Anchusa ochroleuca M.Bieb. – yellow alkanet
Anchusa officinalis L. – true alkanet, bugloss, common bugloss, corn bugloss, field bugloss (type species)
Anchusa officinalis subsp. intacta (Griseb.) Selvi & Bigazz
Anchusa officinalis subsp. officinalis
Anchusa ovata Lehm.
Anchusa procera Besser ex Link
Anchusa pseudoochroleuca Des.-Shost.
Anchusa puechii Valdés
Anchusa pusilla Gușul.
Anchusa riparia A.DC.
Anchusa samothracica Bigazzi & Selvi
Anchusa strigosa Banks & Sol.
Anchusa stylosa M.Bieb.
Anchusa stylosa subsp. spruneri (Boiss.) Nyman
Anchusa stylosa subsp. stylosa
Anchusa thessala Boiss. & Spruner
Anchusa × thirkeana Guşul.
Anchusa tiberiadis Post
Anchusa undulata L.
Anchusa undulata subsp. granatensis (Boiss.) Valdés
Anchusa undulata subsp. lamprocarpa Braun-Blanq. & Maire
Anchusa undulata subsp. sartorii (Heldr. ex Guşul.) Selvi & Bigazzi
Anchusa undulata subsp. undulata
Anchusa variegata (L.) Lehm.

Formerly placed here

Cynoglottis barrelieri (All.) Vural & Kit Tan (as Anchusa barrelieri (All.) Vitman) – Barrelier's bugloss
Gastrocotyle macedonica (Degen & Dörfl.) Bigazzi, Hilger & Selvi (as Anchusa macedonica Degen & Dörfler)
Pentaglottis sempervirens (L.) Tausch ex L.H.Bailey (as Anchusa sempervirens L.) – evergreen alkanet
Phyllocara aucheri (A.DC.) Guşul. (as Anchusa aucheri A.DC.)

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anchusa.

Anchusa L. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 23 July 2024.

Grey-Wilson, Christopher (2009). The Rock Garden Plant Primer. London: Timber Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-88192-928-7.

"Molecular Systematics of Boraginaceae Tribe Boragineae Based on ITS1 and trnL Sequences, with Special Reference to Anchusa s.l.; Hilger et al.". Annals of Botany. 2004; 94: 201-212.
dansk: Oksetunge
Deutsch: Ochsenzungen
English: Bugloss
eesti: Imikas
suomi: Rastit
Nordfriisk: Oksentonger
français: Anchusa
עברית: לשון-פר
hornjoserbsce: Pócćiwka
հայերեն: Հորթալեզու
қазақша: Өгізтіл
lietuvių: Godas
Nederlands: Ossentong
polski: Farbownik
русский: Воловик
slovenčina: pŕhlica, smohla
svenska: Oxtungor
Türkçe: Sığırdili
中文: 牛舌草属