Echium sabulicola Pomel subsp. decipiens (Pomel) G. Klotz

Spice Flower Flower 2 In the field 1 In the field 2

Family: BORAGINACEAE

Genus: Echium

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Castelló. Girona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera. Cabrera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): West Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Hemicryptophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones.

Characteristics: A herbaceous plant which can grow along the ground or grow erect if there are many plants together. The flowers are extremely bright blue with the petals joined together, it has hairs all over the corolla (Echium plantagineum only has them on the veins). The basal leaves are similar to stem-like ones; it lives in grassland together with many other species considered "weeds".

Observations: There are two subsp. decipiens and sabulicola. The first one has a hispid indument whilst the second one has it sericeous. The calyx is bigger in the first subsp. (>7 mm) than in the second one.