Echium vulgare

Viper's bugloss ( Echium vulgare)

The Common bugloss ( Echium vulgare ) is a plant of the family Boraginaceae ( Boraginaceae ). In the vernacular it is "Blue Heinrich " in Austria called " sky fire ", " Rigid Hansel " or "Proud Heinrich".

Occurrence

The Common bugloss flowers from May to October during the dry to semi-dry waste places, on stony corridors, in sandy places and on silicate dry grasslands. It is distributed throughout Germany, Europe and western Asia and is typical of plant communities of the north temperate latitudes.

Identifying

It is a biennial or perennial herbaceous plant. The Common snake head is 25 cm to 1 m high and has stiff bristles on stems and leaves. Its flowers are in thyrsi with simple wrapping. The flowers are first male, then female ( vormännlich ). The are 15 mm to 22 mm long, first dyed pink to purple, later they are blue to sky blue. It is characterized by the funnel-shaped corolla tube with unequal lobes. The stamens are unequal in length and protrude from the flower. The stylus has two columns and basal between the Klausen. The ovary is deeply vierspaltig, the fruits are available in four Klausen ruined schizocarps.

Ecology

The dry plant survives the winter as Hemikryptophyt with the help of their taproot.

The flowers are vormännliche "Revenge Flowers", the outstanding style and stamens serve as a landing pad for pollinators. Pollination is by insects, especially bees, hoverflies and moths, the latter visiting the flowers very much. There about 40 species of butterflies have been identified as a visitor. The main visit of the insects made ​​against 15 clock. The flowers make a color change from red to blue. Bees learn that only the pink flowers are rich in nectar. The gray- blue pollen is very small with 0.01 mm. Bloom time is from May to October.

The gap fruit decay into 4 small, smooth part of fruits, called Chiusa. The spread of the seeds is carried out by Adhesives and Velcro effect, by the wind and by the people.

Toxicity

The plant is for animals by the content of allantoin and by pyrrolizidine alkaloids, eg Heliosupin, toxic. In humans, there is little danger of poisoning.

Use

The snake head is a very good bee pasture. In the apiary it is due to the high sugar content of its nectar ( 25%) and its very high glucose levels (1.64 mg sugar / day per flower) an estimated addition to costume. On a passed with it area of ​​one hectare are honey yields up to 429 kg per flowering season possible. The species is also offered as an ornamental plant and is recommended for wild plants gardens.