Anchusa azurea var. azurea

General:
Perennial herb from a taproot, spreading stiff-hairy; stems mostly single, 0.4-1.5 m tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves stalked, oblanceolate; stem leaves unstalked, lanceolate or narrowly egg-shaped to oblong, to 30 cm long and 8 cm wide, alternate, entire.

Flowers:
Inflorescence a terminal cluster; petals blue, fused into a tube 10-12 mm long that spreads (12-25 mm wide) at the top to 5 peg-shaped lobes, throat closed by 5 white, frilly bulges; calyx lobes 5, linear, white-bristly.

Fruits:
Nutlets 4, clustered together, erect, asymmetric, 5-9 mm tall, 3-5 mm thick, irregularly ridged, concave and with thickened rim at the base.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Anchusa italica Retz.