| Echium | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Echium vulgare | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Boraginales |
| Family: | Boraginaceae |
| Subfamily: | Boraginoideae |
| Genus: | Echium Tourn. exL. (1753) |
| Type species | |
| Echium vulgare | |
| Species[1] | |
68; see text | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Echium/ˈɛkiəm/[2] is agenus offlowering plants in thefamilyBoraginaceae that contains about 70species and severalsubspecies.
Species ofEchium arenative to North Africa, mainland Europe to Central Asia, and theMacaronesian islands where the genus reaches its maximum diversity. Twenty-nine species ofEchium are endemic to the Canary, Madeira, and Cape Verde archipelagos.[3] The continental species areherbaceous, whereas many of the endemic species of the Macaronesian islands are woody perennial shrubs.[4]
The Latin genus nameEchium comes from theGreekἔχιονechion, referring toEchium plantagineum[5] and itself deriving fromἔχιςechis (viper); the Greek term dates toDioscorides, who noted a resemblance between the shape of the nutlets and a viper's head.[6] The genusEchium was published byCarl Linnaeus in 1753.
Many species are used as ornamental and garden plants and may be found in suitable climates throughout the world.[1] InCrete,Echium italicum is calledpateroi (πάτεροι) orvoidoglosses (βοϊδόγλωσσες) and its tender shoots are eaten boiled or steamed.[7]
Echium species are used as food plants by thelarvae of someLepidoptera species includingColeophora onosmella andorange swift.
In some countriesEchium extract has been used as cure for various diseases and is believed to have beneficial properties.
The seed oil fromE. plantagineum contains high levels ofalpha-linolenic acid (ALA),gamma-linolenic acid, andstearidonic acid, making it valuable in cosmetic and skin-care applications, with further potential as a functional food, as an alternative to fish oils.[8] However, despite its high ALA content,Echium seed oil does not increasedocosahexaenoic acid andeicosapentaenoic acid levels.[9]
Some species have been widely naturalized in Mediterranean climates, including South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of South America and the United States. For example,Echium plantagineum has become a majorinvasive species in Australia.[10]
68 species are accepted.[1]
Authority control databases: National |
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