LITHOSPERMUM OFFICINALE
Common Names:- Common Gromwell, European stoneseed.
Homotypic synonyms:- Margarospermum officinale
Meaning:- Lithospermum (Gr) Derived from the Greek words lithos (stone) and
sperma (seed), referring to the plant's hard, glossy, stone-like white seeds.
Officinale (L) A Latin specific epithet meaning "of an officina" (an
apothecary's or druggist's shop), which indicates the plant had a traditional place in
medicine.
General description:- An erect, hairy perennial herb growing up to 30-100 cm tall.
Stems:-
1) Erect, stiff, pale green to reddish, densely covered with bristly, bulbous-based
hairs, and much-branched in the upper half.
Leaves:-
1) Alternate, simple, sessile or subsessile, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, up to 7-
10 cm long, featuring prominent lateral veins underneath and rough, bristly hairs
on the upper surface.
Flowers:-
1) Small, (3-5 mm across), funnel-shaped, arranged in short, dense, leafy cymose
clusters (cymes) in the upper leaf axils,Yellowish-white, creamy, or greenish
-white,
2) Corolla, with rounded lobes and five stamens, enclosed in a hairy tube.
Fruit:-
1) Nutlets, four hard, smooth, glossy, pearly-white, stone-like, (about 3-4 mm long)
resembling polished beads or stones.
Distinguishing features:-
1) Nutlets: The most diagnostic feature of this plant, producing up to four ovoid
nutlets per flower that are smooth, highly polished, and bone- or ivory-white.
2) Leaves, alternate, sessile, lanceolate. Unlike many similar species, they have
deeply indented, prominent lateral veins clearly visible on the underside.
The surfaces are covered in short, stiff hairs, making them very rough to the
touch.
3) Flowers, small, funnel-shaped, (3 to 6 mm across) bloom in leafy clusters.
Toxicity:- Contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids and active plant compounds that can
pose toxicity risks, particularly to the liver and hormone regulation, when ingested in
high amounts
Habitat:- Prefers chalky, calcareous, and lime-rich soils that are free-draining.
Growing in sandy, loamy, or clay substrates as long as they are basic/alkaline to
neutral. Typically located in undisturbed settings, including hedgerows and bushy
scrubland, wood margins and light woodland, rough chalk or limestone grassland
and old pastures, rocky ground, screes, and quarries
Distribution:- Native across Eurasia stretching from Europe across Siberia and the
Himalayas to eastern Asia and has been introduced to parts of North America.
Widely scattered and rare or scarce in Great Britain and Ireland, found locally in
southern England, Wales, and parts of Ireland.
Flowering time:- From May to August.
Status:- Classified as Least Concern on the Great Britain Red List, though it is
considered Near Threatened on the Irish Red List and a priority species in Northern
Ireland.
Photos by:- Saxifraga - Free nature images