Cynoglossum creticum Mill., Boraginaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  yes

Common name(s): [more details]

English: blue houndstongue

Spanish: garrapatilla, trupa

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Biennial herb to 75 cm or more high; stems densely hairy with fine, spreading hairs. Leaves on stems oblong to lanceolate, to 20 cm long, 25-35 mm wide, both surfaces densely hairy, the base subcordate and stem-clasping, sessile or very shortly petiolate. Sepals ovate to oblong, 6-8 mm long, nearly free from each other, enlarging as the fruit matures. Corolla 10-11 mm long, pink to blue with darker reticulate veins, glabrous. Stamens inserted towards the base of tube. Mericarps ovoid, 6-8 mm long; outer face convex, densely prickly"  (NSW PlantNET).

Habitat/ecology:  "In Chile this species grows in the following environmental conditions:  Medium altitude up to the timber line; low altitude, interior valleys; coastal mountains, 500-2000 m; coastal areas, 0-500 m.  Humid areas, with almost constant rainfall, short dry periods are possible (generally not longer than 1 month); somewhat dry areas where the drought may last 3-5 months, precipitations of 400 - 800 mm. are concentrated in winter.  Some shadow, some protection against direct sunlight, some shadow from vegetation, filtering about 20-40% of light; in shadow, steep slopes facing south or a vegetation cover which filters 40-80% of light"  (Chileflora).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Canary and Madeira Islands, northern Africa, Europe, western and central Asia; naturalized in Argentina and Chile (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 553)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 35) Single infestation
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2011) "Naturalized in Eden district".
Chile (continental) Chile	Chile (Republic of)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Chile (continental) Chile	Chile (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Belov, Michail (2011)

Additional information:
Weed management guide from CRC Weed Management, Australia (PDF format).
Invasiveness assessment from Victoria, Australia.
Photos and other information from Chileflora.

Additional online information about Cynoglossum creticum is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Cynoglossum creticum as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Cynoglossum creticum may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John. 2011. Naturalized species in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile. Unpublished spreadsheet.

Belov, Michail. 2011. Chileflora (online resource).

Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. 1998. Potential environmental weeds in Australia: Candidate species for preventative control. Canberra, Australia. Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia. 208 pp.

Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido. 2006. Nouveau catalogue de la flore vaculaire de l'archipel Juan Fernández (Chile) [Nuevo catálogo de la flora vacular del Archipélago Juan Fernández (Chile)]. Acta Bot. Gallica 153(4):399-587.

National Herbarium of New South Wales. 2011. PlantNet: New South Wales Flora online. The Plant Information Network System of the Botanic Gardens Trust Version 2.0. Online resource.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.