Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Echium plantagineum
Common name
Paterson's curse, Salvation Jane
Family
Boraginaceae
Where found
Woodland, heath, grassy areas, disturbed sites, and roadsides. Widespread.
Notes
Introduced annual or biennial herb to 1.5 m tall. Stems bristly. Leaves 4-30 cm long, 8-100 mm wide, basal and alternating up the stems, hairy, tips pointed or blunt, margins entire, often wavy and often slightly hairy, bases cordate or loosely stem clasping. Tips on basal leaves blunt, those on stem leaves pointed. Flowers 20-30 mm long, usually purple to blue, rarely pink or white, funnel-shaped, with five lobes, in open spikes up the stems, often appearing single. Two long stamens, much longer than the flower tube, and three short stamens inside the throat. Flowers Spring to Summer. May cause skin irritation and hay fever.
General Biosecurity Duty all NSW. General Biosecurity Duty with additional restrictions in the Hunter area, just north of the area covered by this key. Pest plant ACT. Noxious weed Vic.
PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Echium~plantagineum (accessed 12 January, 2021)
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