Common name:
Houndstongue
Family:
Scientific name:
Cynoglossum officinale
Main flower color:
Range:
South England, and parts of Wales
Height:
Up to 70 cm
Habitat:
Woodland, dunes, dry grassland, often on calcareous soils
Flowers:
Flowers have a red corolla opening to five obovate lobes, with small, raised appendages at the base; up to 10 mm in diameter. Underneath is a green calyx, divided into five lobes, a little longer than the corolla lobes. Flowers are attached by short stalks, less than 5 mm
Fruit:
A quartet of flattened, rounded capsules, covered in short, hooked hairs
Leaves:
Basal leaves are stalked, elliptical, pointed at the tip and up to 25 cm long, while stem leaves are stalkless and narrower; all have a covering of short, silky hairs
Season:
June to August
Rarity:
★★★★★
