Flora of Israel: Cynoglossum creticum

Cynoglossum creticum, Blue Hound’s Tongue,
Hebrew: לשון-כלב כרתית, Arabic: غريف, لزيق

Scientific name:   Cynoglossum creticum Miller
Synonym name:   Cynoglossum pictum Aiton, Cynoglossum atlanticum Murb., Cynoglossum siculumGuss.
Common name:   Blue Hound’s Tongue
Hebrew name:   לשון-כלב כרתית
Arabic name:   غريف, لزيق
Plant Family:   Boraginaceae, זיפניים


Life form:   Hemicryptophyte
Stems:   40-70cm high; green, erect, moderately branched, covered in fine hairs
Leaves:   Alternate, rosette, entire
Flowers:   Light blue, darker hairless veins and stamens growing from the base of the tube
Fruits / pods:   Nutlets, covered with short, hooked or barbed prickles (sticky glochidiates) when mature; seeds, oval, 6–8 mm long, thickly covered with prickles (notorious for stickibg to clothes)
Flowering Period:   April, May
Habitat:   Batha, Phrygana
Distribution:   Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Shrub-steppes, Montane vegetation of Mt. Hermon
Chorotype:   Med – Irano-Turanian
Summer shedding:   Ephemeral


Location: Givat-Hamoreh, Little Hermon – Nebi Dahi, גבעת המורה ,נבי דחי

Derivation of the botanical name:

Cynoglossum, kynos, “dog,” and glossa, “a tongue”; dog’s tongue, an allusion to the texture of the leaves of these herbs.

creticum, from the island of Crete.
pictum, painted, brightly colored.
atlanticum, from Atlanticus; of or pertaining Atlantic Ocean.
siculum, Siculus, of or pertaining to Sicily, Sicilian.

  • The standard author abbreviation Miller is used to indicate Philip Miller (1691 – 1771), a botanist of Scottish descent.
  • The standard author abbreviation Aiton is used to indicate William Aiton (1731 – 1793), a Scottish botanist.
  • The standard author abbreviation Murb. is used to indicate Svante Samuel Murbeck (1859 – 1946),a Swedish professor, botanist, pteridologist and explorer.
  • The standard author abbreviation Guss. is used to indicate Giovanni Gussone (1787 – 1866), an Italian botanist.



Location: Givat-Hamoreh, Little Hermon – Nebi Dahi, גבעת המורה ,נבי דחי