Andersonglossum virginianum (L.) J.I. Cohen

Wild Comfrey; Blue Hound's Tongue

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Wild Comfrey is a native herbaceous perennial in the Borage family (Boraginaceae). It is found primarily in north and west Alabama. Wild Comfrey occurs in hardwood forests, in ravines, and on slopes. It is a perennial with thick cord-like roots. Basal leaves are petiolate, elliptic to ovate in outline, and with entire margins. The leaves are softly pubescent. One or more flowering stems emerge from each basal rosette. Flowering stems have petiolate leaves near their base and reduced sessile leaves towards the middle of the stem. Flowers are produced in a leafless false raceme. The corolla has a short tube and 5 spreading lobes. The corolla is white or pale blue in color. The fruit is a mericarp with barbed bristles. Wild Comfrey has been used in herbal medicine as a substitute for Comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.). It should not be taken internally as it contains compounds that can cause liver damage. Based on DNA sequence data, James Cohen of Kettering University placed Wild Comfrey in a new genus distinct from Old World Cynoglossum species. The new name for the species is Andersonglossum virginianum (L.) J. I. Cohen. (Adelinia and Andersonglossum (Boraginaceae), Two New Genera from New World Species of Cynoglossum: Systematic Botany (2015), 40(2): pp. 611–619).--A. Diamond

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Native G5T5 (Global Rank)

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