Family:

Boraginaceae

Habitat:

Ruderal grassland, in wasteland, fallow land, sandy meadows

Growth habit:

herbaceous

Plant size:

20 - 60 cm tall

Flower colour:

blue, later pink to red crown

Flowering time

April - July

Leaf characteristics:

Basal leaves in a rosette close to the ground, long-stalked, ovate, 5 - 12 cm long, stem leaves stalkless, alternate, narrow-oblong, the uppermost stem leaves with a semi-stemmed base

Flower characteristics:

Inflorescence mostly branched, flowers almost stalkless, partial inflorescences curled when young, calyx deeply five-parted, 7 - 10 mm, up to 15 mm long at fruiting time, corolla obliquely funnel-shaped, 18 - 30 mm long, corolla margin with five short, unequal lobes, 2 of 5 stamens prominent

Fruit:

Nut fruit, nutlets densely warty

Special features:

The plant is an annual or biennial, upright and soft-bristled and hairy. Its stem is usually branched, angular and erect. In addition to the Mediterranean region, it is also found in Western Europe.