''Echium plantagineum'', commonly known as purple viper's-bugloss or Patterson's curse, is a species of the genus '' Echium'' native to western and southern Europe (from southern England south to Iberia and east to the Crimea), northern Africa, and southwestern Asia (east to Georgia).''Echium plantagineum''.
''Flora Europaea''. It has also been introduced to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, South Africa and United States, where it is an invasive weed. Due to a high concentration of

pyrrolizidine alkaloid Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), sometimes referred to as necine bases, are a group of naturally occurring alkaloids based on the structure of pyrrolizidine. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are produced by plants as a defense mechanism against insect he ...

s, it is poisonous to grazing livestock, especially those with very simple digestive systems, like horses.

Description

''Echium plantagineum'' is a winter annual plant growing to 20–60cm tall, with rough, hairy, lanceolate

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

up to 14 cm long. The flowers are purple, 15–20 mm long, with all the

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s protruding, and borne on a branched spike.Blamey, M. & C. Grey-Wilson. ''Flora of Britain and Northern Europe''. 1989. Piggin, C. M. & A. W. Sheppard. (1995). ''Echium plantagineum'' L. In: Groves, R. H., R. C. H. Shepherd, and R. G. Richardson, (eds.) ''The Biology of Australian Weeds'' Vol 1. R. G. and F. J. Richardson, Melbourne. pp 87-110.

Taxonomy

The Latin genus name comes from the Greek word 'ekhis' which means

viper The Viperidae (vipers) are a family of snakes found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs tha ...

(a type of snake). Some sources say that this is due to the seeds resembling a viper's head. Others claim that the forking at the end of the thin flower style resembles a viper's tongue. It is also claimed that the plant roots when eaten with wine could provide a folk cure for a snake bite. The Latin

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''plantagineum'' then refers to the leaves of the plant which are similar to those of a plantain.W. T. Parsons, William Thomas Parsons and E. G. Cuthbertson

Invasive species

''Echnium plantagineum'' has become an invasive species in Australia, where it is also known as Salvation Jane (particularly in South Australia), blueweed, Lady Campbell weed, Paterson's Curse and Riverina bluebell.Lewis Kahn and David Cottle (editors) In the United States, the species has become naturalised in parts of California, Oregon, and some eastern states and areas such as northern Michigan. In Oregon it has been declared a

noxious weed A noxious weed, harmful weed or injurious weed is a weed that has been designated by an agricultural or other governing authority as a plant that is injurious to agricultural or horticultural crops, natural habitats or ecosystems, or humans or liv ...

Toxicity

''Echium plantagineum'' contains

s and is poisonous. The MERCK Veterinary Manual, Table 5
When eaten in large quantities, it causes reduced livestock weight, and death in severe cases, due to liver damage. Paterson's curse can also kill horses,Patersons Curse and Horse Health
/ref> and irritate the udders of dairy cows and the skin of humans. After the

2003 Canberra bushfires The 2003 Canberra bushfires caused severe damage to the suburbs and outer areas of Canberra, the capital city of Australia, during 18–22 January 2003. Almost 70% of the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) pastures, pine plantations, and nat ...

, a large bloom of the plant occurred on the burned land, and many horses became ill and died from grazing on it.Paterson's curse poisoning in horses.
''Animal Health Surveillance Quarterly Report'' 8(4) Oct-Dec 2003. Because the alkaloids can also be found in the nectar of Paterson's curse, the

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

made from it should be blended with other honeys to dilute the toxins.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q159280 plantagineum Flora of Africa Flora of Asia Flora of Europe Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus