bugloss

/byooh"glos, -glaws/, n.

any of various Old World, boraginaceous herbs, as Anchusa officinalis, having rough leaves, used in medicine, and Lycopsis arvensis, a bristly, blue-flowered herb.

[1350-1400; ME buglossa < ML, for L buglossos < Gk, equiv. to bou-, s. of boûs ox + -glossos -tongued, adj. deriv. of glôssa tongue]

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▪ plant

 any plant of the genera Lycopsis and Echium of the family Boraginaceae; they are weedy, bristly annuals with small, bright-blue flowers that have hairy white throats. The blooms resemble small clusters of half-closed forget-me-nots with a bend at the middle of the floral tube. The 40-centimetre- (about 16-inch-) high plants have toothed, spiny leaf margins. They grow in sandy places and fields throughout Europe and have become naturalized in eastern North America.

      Viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare), also known as blue devil, or blue weed, has bright-blue flowers and grows to a height of about 90 cm (35 inches). It is a bristly European plant that has become naturalized in North America. Purple viper's bugloss (E. lycopsis, or E. plantagineum), from the Mediterranean, is similar but is larger-flowered and shorter, with softer hair. It is a garden flower.

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