anchusa_officinalis

Anchusa officinalis L. - Boraginaceae - alkanet, common bugloss, Gemeine Ochsenzunge, Gewöhnliche Ochsenzunge

Hairy biennial or perennial 30-80cm high, native to Europe; leaves narrow-lanceolate or linear, 6-20 cm long, to 2.5 cm wide, the basal ones clustered and attenuate into petiole; flowers bright blue or purple, 5-10 mm across, in loose one-sided racemes, opening in pairs, blooming May-Sept.

„Common bugloss (ger. Ochsenzunge, fr. Buglosse officinale), is widely distributed in Europe. The aerial parts of the plant are occasionally applied externally with contused injuries, ulcus cruris, sciatica, as compresses with diseases of a joint and of the adjacent bones, internally äs a mild expectorant. The total alkaloid content of the dried drug is ca. 0.12%. Besides the nontoxic alkaloids laburnine and acetyl laburnine it contains the toxic alkaloids intermedine, lycopsamine and 7-acetyllycopsamine. Common bugloss should no longer be used as medicinal plant.“
[Medicinal plants in Europe containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids., Roeder, E., Pharmazie, Vol.50(2), 1995, 83-98]

Lindman, C.A.M., Bilder ur Nordens Flora, vol.1, t.83 (1922-1926)
http://plantgenera.org/species.php?id_species=58004