by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener
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| Houndstongue is one of many common names (Wasacth Audobon) |
Discovered near the greenhouse, the beautiful maroon flowers
intrigued me. I cut a stem and grabbed the wildflower identification book when
I got home. It is
Cynoglossum officinale or houndstongue as listed in this
book.
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| Houndstongue seed pods clinging to livestock |
Oh, no! This lovely plant is invasive, a non-native exotic
weed, harmful to livestock. The most annoying characteristic is the seeds which
are covered with barbed prickles that have been referred to as nature's Velcro
®.The heavily burred seeds stick to animals and, if eaten in sufficient
quantities, the plant can be poisonous.
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| Dig out the long tap root (Montana State Univ. Ext.) |
If you see it, dig it out, especially now before it seeds. It
has a long taproot, developed during the first year, which should be dug out. Any
seeds on the plant or on the ground should be collected and burned, or you may wrap
them and discard in the trash.
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| Burred seeds - help prevent spread by destroyed these |
If the plants are around animals, review any precautions if
you elect to spray a weed killer.
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| Beautiful flowers and prickly seeds |
According to a U.S.D.A. research report, hounds tongue
reproduces by seed only and was probably introduced to North America as a grain
seed contaminant. It invades grasslands,
pastures, forests, and croplands. It is an effective competitor the readily
displaces desirable species.
A NOTE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC
NAMES
On another note, while Master Gardeners are sometimes
scoffed at for using the scientific or Latin names for plants, knowing the
correct name for a plant can be important.
In the wildflower book this plant is referred to as
houndstongue and a search for photos of the seeds on the Internet revealed that
houndstongue is also the common name for several plants in the hawkweed family
(Hieracium cynoglossoides).
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| Houndstongue is a common name for some hawkweeds |
Cynoglossum officinale has many common names: houndstongue, beggar's
lice, dog's tongue, sheep bur, dog bur, sheep lice, glovewort and woolmat. It
is in the borage family (
Boraginaceae)
and the similarity between the two can easily be seen.
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| L-Cynoglossum officinale R- Borago officinalis (Borage) |
For more information, check these links:
Montana State University Extension: Houndstongue: Identification, Biology and Integrated Management (Lists information about poisoning)
