XCynoglossum officinale - Hound's TongueX
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Hound's Tongue -or- Gypsyflower (Cynoglossum officinale), family Boraginaceae (Borage)
This and the other 7 species in the genus Cynoglossum were accidently introduced to North America from Europe. It can be either annual or biennial. It is listed as a noxious weed in Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Nevada. The plant contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which have caused poisoning and death in horses and cattle. The plant causes disorders of the central nervous system and can cause hepatic failure in horses, per the Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility. There are no reported cases of human poisoning, however houndstongue contains alkaloids that can cause cancer when the plant is consumed in large quantities.
USES: Native American Ethnobotany has these uses by Native Americans: Iroquois Drug - Compound infusion of plants taken for consumption with hemorrhage. Decoction of plant used as a wash and applied as poultice to leg cancer. Compound infusion used as wash and applied as poultice to running sores. Decoction of roots taken and used as a wash for internal venereal disease.
FunFacts: The name houndstongue comes from the belief that it could, if a leaf was worn in the shoe, ward off dog attacks. Another common name for the plants is Rats and Mice - due to it's smell.
Plants for a Future: Hound's tongue has a long history of use as a medicinal herb, though it is rarely used in modern herbalism. The leaves contain allantoin, a highly effective agent that speeds up the healing process in the body. Caution should be applied, however, since narcotic effects result from large doses taken internally and the plant is potentially carcinogenic (though it has also been used in the treatment of cancer). The leaves and roots are analgesic, antihaemorrhoidal, antispasmodic, astringent, digestive, emollient and slightly narcotic. The plant contains the alkaloids cynoglossine and consolidin, which are used medicinally to relieve pain. They depress the central nervous system and are also potentially carcinogenic. The plant has been used internally in the treatment of coughs and diarrhea, though it is now mainly used externally as a poultice on piles, wounds, minor injuries, bites and ulcers. The plant has a wide antitumour reputation for cancers of various types. A homeopathic remedy is made from the roots. It is very effective in the treatment of insomnia.
Flower -
Plant location: Found in the Rocky Mountain foothills in Colorado state at Hwy 72 and Plainview Road. The date was June 6, 2008. This species lives in wet places, waste land and hedges and is found in almost every state of the U.S. and a good deal of Canada. It has become classified as a noxious weed in many areas.
Per the Invasive Species Compendium: C. officinale, native to Eurasia, is a highly invasive weed now present throughout much of North America, probably introduced as a seed contaminant. It is a common weed of rangeland and spreads locally attached to the fur of livestock. Its presence reduces the availability of forage grasses and it is poisonous to livestock if ingested. It is possible that further introductions may occur to other countries with similar climates.
Plant -
Bloom season: May or June through August, with seeds ripening from August to September.Foliage -
Steamboat Springs - Colorado - July 6, 2011
Per Montana Plant Life: Fruits: 4 nutlets, 5-7 mm long, ovate, descending-spreading, forming a broad low-pyramidal fruit, remaining attached to the style above even after drying, covered with short, barbed prickles. -
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Steamboat Springs - Colorado - July 6, 2011
Back view of the fruit shows a densely pubescent but not glandular. -
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