purple viper’s-bugloss

Echium plantagineum

Member of viper’s-buglosses (genus Echium)
borage family (family Boraginaceae)
borages (order Boraginales)
dicots (class Magnoliopsida)
purple in flowering plants

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• commonly spotted near the top of Foothills Park.
• much-branched stems
• basal leaves are elliptic or oblong
• corolla is 18–30 mm long, purple or bluish
• two protruding stamens (short-exserted) and three shorter stamens

Toxicity of pride of madeira (Echium spp.):
4 – Ingestion of these plants, especially in large amounts, is expected to cause serious effects to the heart, liver, kidneys or brain. If ingested in any amount, call the poison center immediately.

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Chris’s observations: 3 (all are research grade)

Locations:

• Foothills Nature Preserve, Palo Alto: 3

Months:

• Jan.: 1
• Feb.: 1
• Mar.: 0
• Apr.: 0
• May: 0
• Jun.: 0
• Jul.: 1

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Not all sites include this taxon:

• Echium plantagineum → iNaturalist – Calflora – CalPhotos – Jepson eFlora
• not yet listed → FNA

Bay Area species: iNaturalist – Calflora