Where is houndstongue found

The plant first was collected in North Dakota near Valley City in , and in , it was described by O. How do I control this plant? Prevention is the best method to keep houndstongue from invading North Dakota. Use only certified weed-free hay and eradicate new infestations before the plant can spread. Second-year plants are much less susceptible to 2,4-D.

A root weevil, Mogulones cruciger , has been released for control of houndstongue in Canada. The insect has become well-established in Alberta and has greatly reduced the houndstongue infestation in that province.

Although this biocontrol agent has not been cleared for release in the United States, M. The seed-feeding weevil M. A stem-mining weevil, a root-mining weevil and a root-mining hoverfly attacked several North American borage plants during testing and no longer are being considered for release. No other biocontrol agents are under consideration for release on houndstongue. All photographs by Rodney G.

Publications Accessibility. Houndstongue Cynoglossum officinale L. Houndstongue is a biennial, poisonous herb that is native to Eurasia. The plant is a member of the Borage family, which includes more commonly known plants such as Virginia bluebells, forget-me-nots and the fiddlenecks. April If the soil doesn't allow for effective digging, spot treat with herbicide.

Cutting second year plants, by conventional mowing if practical or with weed-eaters, reduces seed production and spread. If plants are cut close to the ground, many plants will not re-grow, although some will and may flower and seed later in the season or the following year.

Do not mow plants that are already in seed as this will likely disperse the seeds and possibly get moved on the mowing equipment to un-infested sites. In infested areas, it is important to re-seed disturbed or bare soil with a competitive species as soon as possible after disturbance to avoid it getting infested with houndstongue, or other weeds in the area. Clean burs from animals, clothing, shoes and equipment before leaving infested areas. Houndstongue does not withstand regular cultivation and is less competitive in areas with healthy grass cover.

For larger infestations, chemical control may be more cost-effective than manual removal. Adding a surfactant will improve results. Metsulfuron Escort at ounces per acre is effective on houndstongue any time the plant is actively growing but apply only to pasture, rangeland and non-crop sites. First year rosettes can be controlled with 2,4-D at 2 pints per acre in spring, but second year plants are not controlled well with 2,4-D.

For more information or a site-specific recommendation in King County, Washington, contact the noxious weed program. For information in other locations, contact your local weed board or extension office or refer to the recommendations in the Pacific Northwest Weed Management Handbook. Whenever using an herbicide, carefully follow all directions given on the label and follow any local or state requirements for herbicide use at that location.

Please notify us if you see houndstongue growing in King County. Our program staff can provide the property owner or appropriate public agency with site-specific advice on how best to remove it.

Also, because houndstongue is not established in King County, we have an opportunity to stop it from spreading if we act quickly. We map all known locations of regulated noxious weeds such as houndstongue in order to help us and others locate new infestations in time to control them. Program offices are located at S. Jackson St. Skip to main content Animals, plants and habitat Noxious weeds.

Upper leaves clasp the stem. Leaf margins are entire. The flowers are dull reddish-purple in colour, with five petals, and are present in axils of upper leaves. The inflorescence is a raceme. Indehiscent burred fruits, which are brown to greyish-brown in colour, consist of four nutlets. The seed coat is dark brown to black with a white embryo inside. Distribution Top of page C. Distribution Table Top of page The distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available.

History of Introduction and Spread Top of page C. It was probably introduced to North America as a contaminantion of cereal seeds Knight et al. It was reported as common around Montreal, Quebec, and present in Ontario, Canada, as early as the s Macoun, , with herbarium specimens collected in Ontario in and in western Canada in Upadhyaya et al. It was already reported as a troublesome weed in Canada before Clarke and Fletcher, Risk of Introduction Top of page There is a high risk of further introduction of C.

Habitat Top of page C. It is found in rangelands, pastures, roadsides and waste places, and abandoned croplands Alex and Switzer, ; Scoggan, ; Dickerson and Fay, It has been reported to occur in eastern North America on gravelly, somewhat limey soils Meunscher, , in the UK in sandy areas Cockayne, and in old dune-grassland with dry sandy soils Boorman, , in the Netherlands on calcareous costal dunes, with high soil nitrogen Freijsen et al.

Clapham et al. In British Columbia, Canada, it occurs on disturbed sites of the interior Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii and ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa -bunchgrass biogeoclimatic zones Taylor and McBryde, These zones have cold winters and hot dry summers. It is also found in many clear-cut logged areas Cranston and Pethybridge, and grows in grasslands and low- to mid-elevation forests in British Columbia, Canada Anon.

Physiology and Phenology C. Seedlings emerge in both spring and autumn and the rosettes bolt in the second year. Its deep root system gives it a competitive advantage over grasses under conditions of moisture stress.

The C. Nitrogen has been shown to increase germination of C. Svensson and Wigren showed application of fertilizer increased C. Reproductive Biology C. Seeds attached to the mother plant can remain viable for years Anon. Repeated flowering has been reported to occur in some C. In the majority of cases, however, plants die after flowering.

Pollination does not require insects and outcrossing or vivipary have not been reported Upadhyaya et al. The weed relies on innate, non-embryogenic seed dormancy for its persistence; impermeability of seed coats to oxygen has been suggested as the underlying mechanism of dormancy Qi et al. Decoated seed leachate significantly inhibits seed germination and seedling growth of several species associated with C.

Elsewhere in Canada, C. In Canada, C. Two further insects Mogulones cruciger and Longitarsus quadriguttatus Anon. A study in the Netherlands reported that most viable C. Vector Transmission Biotic Nutlets disperse by attaching to the fur of animals, mostly cattle and sheep, grazing in infested areas Upadhyaya et al. Accidental Introduction C. It may also be transported internationally in wool or animal fur, or even attached to live introduced stock Upadhyaya et al.

Impact Top of page Due to its robust growth habit and deep root system, C. It also interferes with establishment of desirable forage grasses, thereby decreasing forage availability for grazing and C. The barbed fruits of C. Its leaves contain the toxic alkaloids, echinatine, heliosupine and acetylheliosupine which are poisonous to animals when ingested McGaw and Woolley, ; Resch and Mienwald, ; Knight et al. Fortunately, grazing animals will avoid browsing this species where alternative forage is available, but poisoning may occur when animals are fed hay contaminated with C.

Social Impact Top of page C. Uses Top of page Root extracts of C. Leaves of C. It may also be confused with common mullein Verbascum thapsus though this species has rosette leaves that are more hairy and have less conspicuous venation than the rosette leaves of C. Prevention and Control Top of page Due to the variable regulations around de registration of pesticides, your national list of registered pesticides or relevant authority should be consulted to determine which products are legally allowed for use in your country when considering chemical control.

Cultural Control Svensson and Wigren reported that inter-specific competition significantly reduced dry biomass of first- and second-year C. Dispersal of nutlets by animals, humans, vehicles and equipment should be avoided Anon.

Mechanical Control For small C. Cutting of young rosettes below the crown in autumn or early spring, mowing of flowering stems close to the ground, and ploughing followed by cultivation have been shown to control C. Dickerson and Fay showed that clipping of second-year plants during flowering reduced seed production significantly and seed production of plants that resumed growth declined dramatically; however, removal of leaves from second year plants neither affected seed number nor seed weight Boorman and Fuller, Biological Control There are attempts to identify insects and pathogens for the biological control of C.

Erysiphe cynoglossi, a powdery mildew fungus that is commonly found occurring on C. The fungus, with characteristic white or grey velvety mycelium growth, is seen on all above-ground parts of C.

The fungus has been reported to reduce C. A weevil, Mogulones cruciger, and a beetle, Longitarsus quadriguttatus, have also been studied for biocontrol of C. Phoma pomorum, an indigenous pathogen which causes brown lesions on the leaves has also been investigated Anon. Compendium record. Distribution Maps Top of page You can pan and zoom the map. Select a dataset I want to see the distribution of this species based on the records CABI believe are most reliable.

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Please consider upgrading your browser to the latest version or installing a new browser. Ok Cancel. Top of page. Title Habit. Title Flowering plant. Title Flowers. Cynoglossum officinale hound's tongue ; close-up of flowers.

Title Fruits. Title Seeds. Britton Freijsen et al. Cockayne Upadhyaya et al. Taylor and MacBryde Huang et al. Macoun Upadhyaya et al.