''Andersonglossum boreale'', known as northern wild comfrey or just wild comfrey, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
in the borage family,
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae, the borage or forget-me-not family, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees and herbs in 146, to 156 genera with a worldwide distribution.
The APG IV system from 2016 classifies the Boraginaceae as single family of the order ...
.
[ It is ]native
Native may refer to:
People
* Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Native Americans (disambiguation)
In arts and entert ...
to boreal coniferous and mixed forests in North America, from Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
to British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
and Yukon
Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...
in Canada, south to New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
and Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
in the United States.[ It is often found in rocky or sandy soils.][ It is extirpated (locally extinct) from many of the southern parts of its range.][
]
Description
Northern wild comfrey is a small, perennial herbaceous plant growing up to tall. The oval-shaped leaves are broader at the base of the plant, growing long and wide with short petioles. The upper leaves clasp the stem. A branching inflorescence is produced at the top of the plant, with several, small, five-petaled blue flowers. The fruit is a bristly nutlet.[
]
Taxonomy
Northern wild comfrey was originally described as ''Cynoglossum boreale'' Fernald in 1905.[ It has since been treated as a ]subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
or variety of ''Cynoglossum virginianum
''Andersonglossum virginianum'', known as southern wild comfrey, is a flowering plant in the borage family native to North America. It is also sometimes called blue houndstongue.
Formerly placed in the genus ''Cynoglossum'', it was transferred t ...
'' (now ''Andersonglossum virginanum''), a more southerly species, but re-elevated to species as ''Andersonglossum
''Andersonglossum'' is a small genus of North American plants in the borage family (Boraginaceae). They are commonly called American comfreys, wild comfreys, or hound's tongues.
Taxonomy
Members of this genus were formerly placed in the genus ' ...
boreale''. Its first description as ''A. boreale'' in 2015[ was invalid per the (ICN, Article 36), as the author had created the new combination but did not personally accept it as a species distinct from ''A. virginianum'':
A 2017 study by the same author, with Pedro Jiménez-Mejías and ]Robert F. C. Naczi
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
, compared the morphology of digitized herbarium specimens and confirmed its distinctness from ''Andersonglossum virginianum'', validating the name ''Andersonglossum boreale''.[ The study found that ''A. boreale'' has a shorter calyx length, smaller corolla diameter, and smaller nutlets.][
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q42964360, from2=Q58380403
Boraginaceae
Plants described in 1905
Flora of Canada
Flora of the Northeastern United States
Flora of the North-Central United States