The genus Anchusa belongs to the borage family (Boraginaceae). It includes about 35 species 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.
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. Anchusa aegyptiaca Anchusa affinis Anchusa arvensis – small bugloss, bugloss, annual bugloss Anchusa atlantica Anchusa azurea – Italian bugloss, large blue alkanet Anchusa azurea var. azurea Anchusa azurea var. kurdica Anchusa azurea var. macrocarpa Anchusa × baumgartenii Anchusa calcarea Anchusa capensis – Cape bugloss, Cape forget-me-not Anchusa cespitosa Anchusa cretica Anchusa crispa (status vulnerable to endangered in France and Italy) Anchusa × digenea Anchusa dinsmorei Anchusa formosa – Sardinia Anchusa gmelinii Anchusa hybrida Anchusa iranica Anchusa konyaensis Anchusa leptophylla Anchusa leucantha – Greece Anchusa milleri Anchusa montelinasana Anchusa ochroleuca – yellow alkanet Anchusa officinalis – true alkanet, bugloss, common bugloss, corn bugloss, field bugloss (type species) Anchusa officinalis subsp. intacta Anchusa officinalis subsp. officinalis Anchusa ovata Anchusa procera Anchusa pseudoochroleuca Anchusa puechii Anchusa pusilla Anchusa riparia Anchusa samothracica Anchusa strigosa Anchusa stylosa Anchusa stylosa subsp. spruneri Anchusa stylosa subsp. stylosa Anchusa thessala Anchusa × thirkeana Anchusa tiberiadis Anchusa undulata Anchusa undulata subsp. granatensis Anchusa undulata subsp. lamprocarpa Anchusa undulata subsp. sartorii Anchusa undulata subsp. undulata Anchusa variegata
Formerly placed here Cynoglottis barrelieri (as Anchusa barrelieri ) – Barrelier's bugloss Gastrocotyle macedonica (as Anchusa macedonica ) Pentaglottis sempervirens (as Anchusa sempervirens ) – evergreen alkanet Phyllocara aucheri (as Anchusa aucheri )
References
"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.