Taxon: Anchusa azurea Mill.

Summary

Genus:

Anchusa

Family:

Boraginaceae

Subfamily:

Boraginoideae

Tribe:

Boragineae

Subtribe:

Boragininae

Nomen number:

3098

Place of publication:

Gard. dict. ed. 8: Anchusa no. 9. 1768

Verified:

05/06/1992 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

4 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Anchusa italica Retz.

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
Bennett, M. 2003. Pulmonarias and the Borage family 71-74.
Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
Demilly, D. et al. 1996. Liste alphabétique des principales espèces de plantes cultivées et de mauvaises herbes. Noms latins et noms français, ed. 6. Note: GEVES-SNES, Beaucouzé, France
Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage
Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 2:1202.
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist. Note: Anchusa azurea auct. = A. italica Retz.
Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: = Anchusa italica Retz.
Molina, M. et al. 2016. Chapter 5. Natural production and cultivation of Mediterranean wild edibles. In: Sánchez-Mata, M. C. & J. Tello, Mediterranean wild edible plants. Ethnobotany and food composition tables 81-107. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3329-7_5. Note: this species is harvested in the wild, its young sprouts are edible
Mouterde, P. 1966-. Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie.
Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
Pignatti, S. 1982. Flora d'Italia. Note: Anchusa azurea Rchb. an Mill.? = A. italica Retz.
Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica. Note: Anchusa azurea Mill., nom. confus. = A. italica Retz.
Selvi, F. 2011. Review of Boraginaceae data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm. via e-mail 0n 20 May.
Stace, C. 1995. New flora of the British Isles.
Still, S. M. 1994. Manual of herbaceous ornamental plants, ed. 4
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina. Note: Anchusa azurea auct. non Mill. = A. italica Retz.

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	garden anchusa	1	Stace, C. 1995. New flora of the British Isles.
English	Italian alkanet	1	Still, S. M. 1994. Manual of herbaceous ornamental plants, ed. 4
English	Italian bugloss	1	Still, S. M. 1994. Manual of herbaceous ornamental plants, ed. 4
English	large blue alkanet	1	Bennett, M. 2003. Pulmonarias and the Borage family 71-74.
French	buglosse d'Italie	2	Demilly, D. et al. 1996. Liste alphabétique des principales espèces de plantes cultivées et de mauvaises herbes. Noms latins et noms français, ed. 6. Note: GEVES-SNES, Beaucouzé, France
German	italienische Ochsenzunge	2	Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 2:1202.
Swedish	italiensk oxtunga	2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	Macaronesia	Portugal	Madeira Islands		Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	Macaronesia	Spain	Canarias		Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Eritrea			Selvi, F. 2011. Review of Boraginaceae data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm. via e-mail 0n 20 May.
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Algeria			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Libya			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Morocco			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Tunisia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Azerbaijan			Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: = Anchusa italica Retz.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Georgia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Kazakhstan		s.	Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: = Anchusa italica Retz.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Kyrgyzstan			Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: = Anchusa italica Retz.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Tajikistan			Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: = Anchusa italica Retz.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Turkmenistan			Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: = Anchusa italica Retz.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Uzbekistan			Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: = Anchusa italica Retz.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Afghanistan			Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica. Note: Anchusa azurea Mill., nom. confus. = A. italica Retz.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Cyprus			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Iran			Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica. Note: Anchusa azurea Mill., nom. confus. = A. italica Retz.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Iraq			Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica. Note: Anchusa azurea Mill., nom. confus. = A. italica Retz.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Israel			Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina. Note: Anchusa azurea auct. non Mill. = A. italica Retz.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Jordan			Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina. Note: Anchusa azurea auct. non Mill. = A. italica Retz.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Lebanon			Mouterde, P. 1966-. Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Syria			Mouterde, P. 1966-. Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Turkey			Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Pakistan			Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Moldova			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation-European part	European part	s.w.	Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: = Anchusa italica Retz.
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Ukraine	Krym		Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Hungary			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Albania			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist. Note: Anchusa azurea auct. = A. italica Retz.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Bulgaria			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist. Note: Anchusa azurea auct. = A. italica Retz.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Croatia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Greece		incl. Crete	Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist. Note: Anchusa azurea auct. = A. italica Retz.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Italy		incl. Sardinia, Sicily	Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist. Note: Anchusa azurea auct. = A. italica Retz.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Romania			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Serbia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Slovenia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	France		incl. Corsica	Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Portugal			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Spain		incl. Baleares	Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
2	Cultivated					also cult.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa			Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Austria			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Czech Republic			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Germany			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Switzerland			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Illinois		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Iowa		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Missouri		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Connecticut		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Massachusetts		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Michigan		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Hampshire		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New York		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Ohio		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Pennsylvania		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Colorado		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Idaho		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Montana		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Oregon		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Washington		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Maryland		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	California		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Nevada		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Utah		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	British Columbia		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)

Native
Africa

MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias], Portugal [Madeira Islands]
NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Eritrea

Asia-Temperate

WESTERN ASIA: Afghanistan, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
CAUCASUS: Azerbaijan, Georgia
MIDDLE ASIA: Kazakhstan (s.), Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Pakistan

Europe

MIDDLE EUROPE: Hungary
EASTERN EUROPE: Russian Federation-European part [European part (s.w.)], Moldova, Ukraine [Krym]
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece (incl. Crete), Croatia, Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), Romania, Serbia, Slovenia
SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain (incl. Baleares), France (incl. Corsica), Portugal

Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized
Africa

SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa

Europe

MIDDLE EUROPE: Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany

Northern America

WESTERN CANADA: Canada [British Columbia]
NORTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania]
NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Illinois, Iowa, Missouri]
NORTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington]
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Maryland]
SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [California, Nevada, Utah]

Reference(s)

Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist. Note: Anchusa azurea auct. = A. italica Retz.
Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: = Anchusa italica Retz.
Mouterde, P. 1966-. Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie.
Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica. Note: Anchusa azurea Mill., nom. confus. = A. italica Retz.
Selvi, F. 2011. Review of Boraginaceae data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm. via e-mail 0n 20 May.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina. Note: Anchusa azurea auct. non Mill. = A. italica Retz.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Bee plants	honey production		Selvi, F. 2011. Review of Boraginaceae data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm. via e-mail 0n 20 May.
Environmental	ornamental		Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Environmental	ornamental		Still, S. M. 1994. Manual of herbaceous ornamental plants, ed. 4
Environmental	ornamental		Bennett, M. 2003. Pulmonarias and the Borage family 71-74.
Human food	vegetable	potential	Molina, M. et al. 2016. Chapter 5. Natural production and cultivation of Mediterranean wild edibles. In: Sánchez-Mata, M. C. & J. Tello, Mediterranean wild edible plants. Ethnobotany and food composition tables 81-107. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3329-7_5. Note: this species is harvested in the wild, its young sprouts are edible
Materials	tannin/dyestuff		Bennett, M. 2003. Pulmonarias and the Borage family 71-74.
Medicines	folklore		Bennett, M. 2003. Pulmonarias and the Borage family 71-74.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=3098. Accessed 17 April 2026.