Echium candicans f. (Pride of Madeira)

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Echium candicans L. f.

Pride of Madeira

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Lamiales	Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary
Family	Boraginaceae	Borages or forget-me-nots
Genus	Echium	From the Greek echis, “a viper,” the nutlets appearing to represent a viper’s head
Species	candicans	White, shining white

About plant names...

Pride of Madeira—so called because this attractive species is native to the Portuguese-affiliated island of Maderia—manages to be both a prized and popular ornamental and an invasive species—both in California. It escapes gardens in New Zealand and is borderline invasive in Victoria, Australia.

Plants: Subshrubs are 5-8' (1.5-2.5 m) around.

Leaves: Alternate, oblong to lanceolate, tapering to a sharp tip. They are covered with soft hairs. (A related species, E. plantagineum, has stiff-haired leaves.)

Flowers: Large conical flowerhead spikes are covered with flowers that are light blue to blue purple, or sometimes white or pink. flowers with red stamens.

Fruits: Small wrinkled nutlets.

Edibility: Poisonous. Skull & Crossbones From the Queensland Australia Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, “Symptoms can be delayed days to weeks after ingestion and may include acute liver disease and gastroenteritis; enlarged liver and spleen, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Stiff hairs on the plant can cause skin irritation and dermatitis.”

Online References:

Sites.google.com

Calflora

Www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au

Www.invasiveplantatlas.org

The California Invasive Plant Council

Wikispecies

2/24/2010 · San Diego (Quail) Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California
≈ 6½ × 4' (2.0 × 1.3 m)

2/24/2010 · San Diego (Quail) Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California
≈ 30 × 20" (75 × 50 cm)

2/24/2010 · San Diego (Quail) Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California
≈ 4 × 2½' (1.3 × 0.9 m)

Echium candicans

Echium fastuosum auct. non Aiton

Echium candicans f. description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

2/24/2010 · San Diego (Quail) Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California
≈ 2 × 1½" (5.7 × 4.3 cm)

2/24/2010 · San Diego (Quail) Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California
≈ 10 × 15" (26 × 39 cm)

2/24/2010 · San Diego (Quail) Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California ID is uncertain

2/24/2010 · San Diego (Quail) Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California
≈ 4½ × 7' (1.4 × 2.1 m)

2/24/2010 · San Diego (Quail) Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California
≈ 29 × 38" (72 × 97 cm)

Range:

About this map...