Code
LITAR
Growth form
Broadleaf
Biological cycle
Annual
Habitat
Terrestrial
Lithospermum arvense L.
synonym | Aegonychon arvense (L.) Gray |
synonym | Buglossoides arvensis (L.) I.M.Johnston |
synonym | Buglossoides arvensis f. cyanea R.Fern. |
synonym | Buglossoides arvensis subsp. arvensis |
synonym | Buglossoides arvensis subsp. occidentalis Franco |
synonym | Lithospermum bicolor Bertol. |
synonym | Lithospermum calycinum Wettst. ex Stapf |
synonym | Lithospermum medium Chevall. |
synonym | Lithospermum minus Gilib. |
synonym | Lithospermum rochelii Friv. |
synonym | Lithospermum rugosum Lucé |
synonym | Margarospermum arvense (L.) Decne. |
synonym | Rhytispermum arvense (L.) Link |
synonym | Rhytispermum medium Fourr. |
Arabic |
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English |
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French |
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Italian |
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Spanish; Castilian |
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Seedling
Cotyledons fairly large, 12-20 x 6-9 mm, elliptic-rounded, with visible mibrid, gradually attenuated on the petiole, slightly indented at the apex, pubescent. First leaves alternate, simple, first elliptic, then obovate by attenuation of its base on the petiole, finally lanceolate by tapering of its apex, with a hairy, ciliated margin. The hypocotyle axis is short, 5-10 mm, and greenish. The seedling is greyish dark green and has a velvety appearance.
Adult plant
Lithospermum arvense is an annual, upright or ascending plant. The stem is sparsely branched, up to 50 cm long and hairy with coarse applied hairs. Leaves simple alternate, obovate or lanceolate, single-veined, short-petiolate, the upper leaves stalkless, hairy. Flowers are white, small, 4-8 mm, in slightly curved cyme with very long, loose ends. Fruit in the form of a tetrakene, conical trigon, rough-tubercular, brownish, about 3 mm long.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Life cycle
Algeria: Lithospermum arvense germinates in autumn-winter; flowers from March to June.
Morocco: Lithospermum arvense flowers from March to May.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Lithospermum arvense reproduces by seed.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Growth form
Leaf arrangement
Leaf type
Latex
Stem section
Root type
Hollow or solid stem
Stipule type
Leaf attachment type
Fruit type
Achene type
Cotyledon type
Lamina base
Lamina margin
Lamina apex
Upperface pilosity
Upperface hair type
Lowerface pilosity
Lowerface hair type
Simple leaf type
Lamina section
Lamina Veination
Flower color
Inflorescence type
Stem pilosity
Stem hair type
Life form
Lithospermum arvense can be confused with L. incrassatum. It can be distinguished by its stems, which are generally erect and not very branched, the calyx of 4 to 6.5 mm with sepals equal to or larger than the corolla tube, the corolla of 3 to 5 mm in diameter with white lobes that are not very exserted, whereas L. incrasstum has ascending decumbent stems branched from the base, a calyx of 2.5 to 4 mm with sepals smaller than the corolla tube, a corolla of 1.5 to 3.5 mm in diameter, pink, blue or purple with short lobes.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Lithospermum arvense is a C3 species.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Algeria: Lithospermum arvense is an uncommon species in annual crops (winter cereals, fallow land) and perennial crops in the north of the country. Preference for neutral sandy to sandy loam soils.
Morocco: Lithospermum arvense is a rare ruderal nitrophilous species that grows in pastures, wasteland and crops at altitudes of 0 to 1000 m.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Habitat
Origin
Lithospermum arvense is native to the Euro-Siberian-Mediterranean-Iranian-Turanian region.
Worldwide distribution
The species is found throughout Europe and as far as temperate Asia, South Africa and New Zealand, as well as in temperate North and South America.
Algeria: Common throughout the country.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Local harmfulness
Algeria: Lithospermum arvense is a minor "weed". Infrequent and not very abundant, it is not generally a nuisance for cultivation.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Cosmetic: The root of Lithospermum arvense provides a red dye, lithospermine, which is used in the lipstick industry.
Medicinal: The leaves of L. arvense contain a pituitary moderator and anti-oetrogen, with antigonadotropic, antihormonal and antithyroid effects.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
- Kazi Tani C., Grard P. & Le Bourgeois T., 2021. "AdvenAlg 1.0 Identification et connaissance des principales adventices d'Algérie méditerranéenne." Al Yasmina, Revue de Botanique 2(3): 1-187.
- EPPO https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/LITAR
- Plants of the World Online https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:113724-1
- The World Flora Online https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000574420
- Flora Maroccana (Dobignard A.) https://www.floramaroccana.fr/buglossoides-arvensis-cle.html
- CABI https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/cabicompendium.112839
- Kazi Tani C., Grard P. & Le Bourgeois T., 2021. "AdvenAlg 1.0 Identification et connaissance des principales adventices d'Algérie méditerranéenne." Al Yasmina, Revue de Botanique 2(3): 1-187.
- EPPO https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/LITAR
- Plants of the World Online https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:113724-1
- The World Flora Online https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000574420
- Flora Maroccana (Dobignard A.) https://www.floramaroccana.fr/buglossoides-arvensis-cle.html
- CABI https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/cabicompendium.112839
Herbarium pictures from ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Lithospermum%2520arvense
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Root | Root |
Kingdom | Plantae |
Phylum | Tracheophyta |
Class | Magnoliopsida |
Order | Boraginales |
Family | Boraginaceae |
Genus | Lithospermum |
Species | Lithospermum arvense L. |