Brunnera macrophylla, the Siberian bugloss, great forget-me-not,[1] largeleaf brunnera[2] or heartleaf, is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, native to the Caucasus. It is a hardy, rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial, that can reach from 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) in height, and carries basal, simple cordate leaves on slender stems. Sprays of small blue flowers, similar to those seen in the related forget-me-nots, are borne from mid-Spring,[3] and bloom for eight to ten weeks.[4]
| Brunnera macrophylla | |
|---|---|
_Brunnera_macrophylla,_flowers_-_Les_Martels,_Giroussens_Tarn.jpg)
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| inflorescence | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Boraginales |
| Family: | Boraginaceae |
| Genus: | Brunnera |
| Species: | B. macrophylla
|
| Binomial name | |
| Brunnera macrophylla (J. F. Adams) I. M. Johnst.
| |
The plant is valued as groundcover in shady areas, and has clumps of large heart-shaped leaves of about six inches (15 cm); these usually have white or cream markings, and are present all season. Plants are happy in any shady area that stays relatively moist. It often self-seeds, appearing around the garden in other places. Clumps may be easily divided in early fall.
Brunnera macrophylla may be reflective of the ancient flora of forests around the Black Sea, based on chromosomal genetic evidence.[5]
The Latin specific epithet macrophylla means "larger-leaved".[6]
The variegated cultivars 'Hadspen Cream'[7] and 'Jack Frost'[8] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
References
edit- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Brunnera macrophylla". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
- ^ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
- ^ "GardenersHQ - Brunnera macrophylla". Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ Selvi F et al. 2004. The Phylogenetic Relationships of Cynoglottis (Boraginaceae- Boragineae) Inferred From ITS, 5.8S and trnL Sequences. Plant Syst. Evol. 246: 195–209.
- ^ Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN 9781845337315.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Brunnera macrophylla 'Hadspen Cream'". Retrieved 6 April 2020.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'". Retrieved 6 April 2020.
External links
edit
Media related to Brunnera macrophylla at Wikimedia Commons
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