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Common Name: Purple Viper's Bugloss

General Information

Echium lycopsis is a Biennial up to 0.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

We have no specific information for this plant, but the following reports are for the related E. vulgare[].
The leaves are poisonous[]. No cases of poisoning have ever been recorded for this plant[]. The bristly hairs on the leaves and stems can cause severe dermatitis[].

Botanical References

Range

Southern Europe, including southern Britain, Caucasus, Canaries.

Habitat

Cliffs and sandy ground near the sea[]. A rare plant in Britain, found in Jersey, Cornwall and possibly south Devon[].

Properties

Habit	Biennial
Height	0.50 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in any good garden soil but flowers best when the soil is not too rich[].Prefers a warm position in a light, dry, stony soil[]. Requires a sunny position[].
The plant is very deep rooted[].
A good bee plant[].

Edible Uses

There has been an increase in interest in a number of Echium species because of the fatty acid composition of the seed oil[]. Like borage and evening primrose oil, it contains significant amounts of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), but it also contains the rarer stearidonic acid (SdA), which is also an important intermediate in the production of a number of important compounds in the body[]. Both acids are made by the same enzyme, and their effects are complimentary, so the oil is potentially valuable as a health food and cosmetic component[].
The seed oil from Echium contains a unique ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids[]. These lipids, previously obtained from other plant sources, have been used for many years in food supplements[]. Of potential interest for health food applications are the appreciable amounts of g-linolenic acid (GLA) as well as the unusual polyunsaturated fatty acid, stearidonic acid. Stearidonic acid is the equivalent position of GLA in the omega-3 metabolic pathway[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The oil obtained from the seed is potentially valuable as a cosmetic component because of its moisturizing and anti-inflammatory action[].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter-May or August-late autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 3 weeks at 15°c.
If the seed is in short supply then it can be sown in pots in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.