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Taxon  Report  
Cynoglossum officinale  L.
Gypsyflower,   Hound's tongue,   Purple houndstongue
Cynoglossum officinale is a perennial herb that is not native to California.
Cal-IPC rating: moderate
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Observation Search
~211 records in California
redone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
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Bloom Period
Genus: Cynoglossum
Family: Boraginaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands: Occurs usually in non wetlands, occasionally in wetlands
Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Information about  Cynoglossum officinale from other sources

[Wikipedia] Found in most parts of Europe: Found in most parts of Europe, and also North America, where it was accidentally introduced[4] including in British Columbia, where it is designated a noxious weed under the British Columbia Weed Control Act.[5] It lives in wet places, sand dunes, waste land and hedges.The plant owes its common and scientific name to the long greyish leaves that are reminiscent of a dog's tongue and were once given as a remedy for dog bites. Cynoglossum officinale contains tumorigenic pyrrolizidine alkaloids.[11] It is toxic to cows and is especially dangerous to pasture owners. (link added by Steve Conger)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 10/13/2024).