Boraginaceae
Anchusa

Anchusa officinalis L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 133 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Europe to Caucasus. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Distribution

Native to:

Albania, Austria, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Bulgaria, Central European Russia, Corse, Denmark, East European Russia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, North Caucasus, North European Russia, Northwest European Russia, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Romania, South European Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine

Introduced into:

Argentina Northeast, Belgium, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Czechia-Slovakia, Finland, Great Britain, Idaho, Illinois, Ireland, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode I., South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin

Accepted Infraspecifics

Classification

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Publications

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

  • Ackerfield, J. (2015). Flora of Colorado: 1-818. BRIT Press.
  • Govaerts, R. (1995). World Checklist of Seed Plants 1(1, 2): 1-483, 529. MIM, Deurne.
  • Hassler, M. & Muer, T. (2022). Flora Germanica: alle Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Deutschlands in Text und Bild 2: 865-1712. Verlag Regionalkultur, Uberstadt-Weiher.
  • Mirek, Z., Piękoś-Mirkowa, H., Zając, A. & Zając, M (2020). Vascular plants of Poland an annotated checklist: 1-526. W. Szafer institute of botany, Polish academy of sciences, Krakow, Poland.
  • Mohlenbrock, R.H. (2014). Vascular Flora of Illinois. A Field Guide, ed. 4: 1-536. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.
  • Stace, C. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles ed. 4: 1-1266. C & M Floristics.
  • Stalažs, A. (2024). List of vascular plants of Latvia (with Latvian names): 1-312. Dobele.
  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1972). Flora Europaea 3: 1-370. Cambridge University Press.
  • Werier, D. (2017). Catalogue of the Vascular plants of New York state. Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club 27: 1-542.
  • Zuloaga, F.O. & Zanotti, C.A. (eds.) (2022). Flora Argentina. Flora vascular de la República Argentina 19(3): 1-384. INTA, IMBIV & IBODA.
  • Zuloaga, F.O., Morrone, O. , Belgrano, M.J., Marticorena, C. & Marchesi, E. (eds.) (2008). Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares del Cono Sur. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 107: 1-3348. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Ackerfield, J. (2015). Flora of Colorado: 1-818. BRIT Press.
  • Mohlenbrock, R.H. (2014). Vascular Flora of Illinois. A Field Guide, ed. 4: 1-536. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.
  • Stace, C. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles ed. 4: 1-1266. C & M Floristics.
  • USDA, NRCS ( 2021-continuously updated). Natural Resources Conservation Services Plant Database http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi?earl=checklist.html.
  • Werier, D. (2017). Catalogue of the Vascular plants of New York state. Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club 27: 1-542.
  • Zuloaga, F.O. & Zanotti, C.A. (eds.) (2022). Flora Argentina. Flora vascular de la República Argentina 19(3): 1-384. INTA, IMBIV & IBODA.

Kew Plants for Health

  • "20th Int. Congr. ISE (Ethnopharm.) (AAVV, 2021)"
  • "SEPASAL database. (RBG Kew, 1999)"
  • "World Checklist of Useful Pl. Spp. (Diazgranados et al., 2020)"
  • GRIN (USDA)
  • MPNS Import
  • US-FDA GSRS (2025)
  • WHODrug Herbal Substances 2025

Other Data

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Kellner von Köllenstein, C. [2183] Germany K001085703 Unknown Type Material Yes
Vill, P. [2184] Germany K001085704 Unknown Type Material Yes
Visiani, R.de [s.n.] Croatia K001085700 Type Yes
Schur, P.J.F. [s.n.] K001085705 Unknown Type Material Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] Moldova K001085697 Unknown Type Material Yes
Velenovsky, J. [s.n.] Bulgaria K001085702 Unknown Type Material Yes
Gusuleac, M. [179] Romania K001085692 Unknown Type Material Yes
[illegible] [s.n.] Romania K001085706 Unknown Type Material Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] Moldova K001085698 Unknown Type Material Yes
Stribrny, V. [s.n.] Bulgaria K001085701 Unknown Type Material Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] Moldova K001085699 Unknown Type Material Yes

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Kew's Living Collection Database

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images