Flora of Israel: Massed Alkanet

Anchusa aggregata, Hormuzakia aggregata, Massed Alkanet,
Hebrew: לשון-פר מגובבת, Arabic: لسان الثور

Scientific name:   Anchusa aggregata Lehm.
Synonym name:   Hormuzakia aggregata (Lehm.) Gus., Anchusa humilis (Desf.) I.M.Johnst.
Common name:   Massed Alkanet
Hebrew name:   לשון-שור מגובבת
Arabic name:   لسان الثور
Family:   Boraginaceae, זיפניים


Life form:   Annual
Stems:   10-40 cm; hispid, ascending, branched
Leaves:   Alternate, entire
Inflorescence:   Axillary and terminal cymes, more or less capitate, wth subsessile flowers
Flowers:   Corolla, dark blue, violet; tube 6-8mm; limb c.5mm in diameter; stamens inserted at top of tube
Fruits / pods:   Nutlets c.3x4mm, hemispherical
Flowering Period:   January, February, March, April
Habitat:   Sand
Distribution:   Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Shrub-steppes, Deserts and extreme deserts
Chorotype:   Mediterranean
Summer shedding:   Ephemeral


Derivation of the botanical name:

Anchusa, αγχουσα, a plant used for cosmetic as a rouge.

aggregata, to attach to, connect with; to bring together, collect, gather; meaning: clustered, joined together.
Hormuzakia, named for Constantin Freiherr von Hormuzaki (Czernowitz, Ukraine).
The Hebrew name: לשון-שור, lashon-shor, the leaves have raised spots with short, hooked bristles, giving the leaves a very rough feeling (like a tongue of a bull, hence the name).

  • The standard author abbreviation Lehm. is used to indicate Johann Georg Christian Lehmann (1792 – 1860), a German botanist.
  • The standard author abbreviation Gusul. is used to indicate Mikail Gusuleac (1887-1960), a Romainian botanist.

The roots of Anchusa contain anchusin (or alkanet-red ), a red-brown resinoid coloring matter. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in alcohol, chloroform and ether.