Common Hound'S-Tongue

<em>Cynoglossum officinale</em>, commonly known as common hound's tongue, is a biennial herb in the family Boraginaceae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with populations documented across Europe — including eight European countries — and North America. The species typically inhabits disturbed soils, roadsides, dry grasslands, coastal dunes, and open woodland edges in temperate climates. It is recognized by its deep reddish-purple flowers and rough, tongue-shaped leaves that give the plant its common name. The species contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids and has been used historically in folk medicine, though it is considered toxic to livestock. Diet information for this species is not available in current records. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.