Echium vulcanorum
Species of flowering plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Echium vulcanorum is a species of flowering plants of the family Boraginaceae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde.[2] It is listed as an endangered plant by the IUCN.[1] The species was first described in 1935 by Auguste Chevalier.[3] Its local name is língua-de-vaca (cow tongue), a name that may also refer to the related species Echium hypertropicum and Echium stenosiphon.[4] The oil of its seeds contains γ-linolenic acid, and is used for medicinal and dietary purposes.[5]
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| Echium vulcanorum | |
|---|---|
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| Echium vulcanorum on Chã das Caldeiras | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Boraginales |
| Family: | Boraginaceae |
| Genus: | Echium |
| Species: | E. vulcanorum |
| Binomial name | |
| Echium vulcanorum A.Chev., 1935 | |
Description
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The plant is a very branched shrub that reaches 1–2 m height. Its leaves are lanceolate and 5-7 cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide. Its flowers are white, rarely bluish.[3] Although the plant can have flowers all year long, the most display occurs in the spring when the plant is covered in enormous, cone-shaped clusters of blossoms. Each funnel-shaped blossom has blue streaks radiating from its center and is pearly white with a length of little under an inch. Bees are very fond of the blossoms. Echium vulcanorum is a long-lived species that flower beautifully for several years, in contrast to many Echium species that only flower once before dying.[6]
Distribution and ecology
Echium vulcanorum is restricted to the island of Fogo, where it occurs between 1,600 and 2,400 m elevation, in semi-arid zones.[3]
