Cynoglossum officinale / houndstongue

Adjectives: annual, disturbed, drought tolerant, invasive, nasty, non-native, noxious, poisonous, riparian, toxic, weed

Also known as: houndstongue, dog’s tongue, gypsy flower, rats and mice (due to its smell), beggar’s ticks, beggar’s lice, dog bur

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Houndstongue is, depending on the weather and other local conditions, an annual, biennial or short-lived perennial. The flowers are small and reddish-purple, blooming anytime in the summer. They grow in clusters from the axes of branches and the tips of the stems. Five triangular sepals are fused to form a star-shaped calyx, and the 5 petals are fused to form a funnel shaped corolla. They look like they could be pretty if they were only a bit larger and opened further, but despite their apparent introversion, they are good at producing seeds (burs) that will stick to anything with their hooked barbs.

Houndstongue generally forms only a rosette in first year; the rosette leaves are hairy and rough and feel like a dog’s tongue, but without the slobber. However, while forming the rosettes, the plants are also developing deep, branching taproots and the different branches can each produce a rosette. This means that houndstongue tends to grow in tight clumps and one seed can generate the whole clump. The length of the taproot also confers a fair measure of drought tolerance, a great trait to have in the Valley.

While not quite obligate outcrossers, selfing in houndstongue produces many fewer and less viable seeds than if cross pollination by insects occurs. In either case, the seeds remain viable in the seed bank for only a few years. This, plus the biennial strategy, means that individual populations may be around for only a year or two. This has not stopped the spread of the plant nor its ability to invade habitats. Indeed, the species is extremely mobile and can forms dense stands. While this is especially the case in moist habitats, including riparian zones, houndstongue also does well in sagebrush communities, waste sites and even forests.

The main evil – other than the bothersome burs – associated with houndstongue is that it is toxic to animals, especially horses. The toxic agents, alkaloids, cause liver damage and remain toxic even after the plants have dried. The principle source of houndstongue for livestock is contaminated hay.