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Electronic Flora of South Australia genus Fact Sheet

Family: Boraginaceae
Cynoglossum

Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 134 (1753).

Derivation: Greek kynos, dog; glossa, tongue; alluding to the shape of the leaves.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Hounds tongues, perennial forget-me-nots.

Description:
Annuals or perennials more or less branched and densely hairy, with short and long hairs; leaves constantly alternate, usually much clustered, subpetiolate but with a sheath in the basal rosette, becoming widely spaced, sessile and often with an undulate margin on the stems.

Infloresccncc terminal, with few to several erect monochasia (scorpioid cymes) with pedicellate flowers more or less widely spaced, with or without bracts; sepals more or less connate basally, scarcely elongating after flowering; corolla regular, narrowly funnel-shaped, glabrous except for protrusions in the throat; stamens inserted just above the middle of the corolla tube, with anthers almost sessile and each with a mucro-like appendage; ovary 4-lobed, usually with a basal nectary, with the short style inserted near the base and with an included capitate stigma.

Fruit with 4 mericarps splitting from the central gynobase; mericarps saucer-shaped to almost globular sometimes with a horizontal ridge around the outer surface, more or less densely covered with spines each having several recurved barbs near the apex.

Distribution:  50-60 species of temperate and subtropical regions of the world; 3 species endemic to Australia.

Biology: No text

Taxonomic notes: Eichler (1965) Suppl. 263 notes that Eckert (1894) had recorded C. latifolium R. Br. from the south-eastern region of S. Aust. but no specimens could be found to confirm its occurrence there.

Key to Species:
1. Flowers without bracts or rarely the lowest 1 or 2 on the cyme subtended by a bract; mericarps saucer-shaped with a winged rim around
C australe 1.
1. Flowers subtended by a bract; mericarps almost globular without a winged rim
C. suaveolens 2.

Author: Not yet available


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