Lithodora, the striking blue-purple parrot

1996/11/01 Terés, Joxepo Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Botanika

The family of this genus is quite represented in Euskal Herria. Inside are mentioned about 100 genera and about 2,000 species and are cosmopolitan. In the genus Lithodora we know about 17 species, of which three are found in our territory: Lithodora fruticosa, L. diffus and L. prostatic in study.

These species are mular, that is, they only have the bare base and the flowers ending in cimacio are blue-purple, very striking. L. diffusa and L. prostatic were classified until recently in the same species. Today, it is considered the first endemism of the Cantabrian Mountains and can only be found on the western shore of the Basque Country. The Lithodora, under study, lives on the western Atlantic coast, from the Finistère of Brittany to North Africa.

This last species is a bush similar to the L. diffusa plant. But it is easily distinguished during flowering, as stamens are found at different heights in the corolla tube. It inhabits shrubs and shrubs and usually has the same type of substrate. But she cannot live with L. diffusa, so Lithodora is a prostitute who grows in acidophilous scrubs and the other in basophils.

As mentioned above, the prostate Lithodora has a very beautiful flower, purple blue and very eye-catching. From late winter to autumn we have been in bloom, although spring is its most fruitful time. In Euskal Herria it is common in the Atlantic slope, especially near the sea shore. The plant we are explaining we have not considered it as a medicinal plant, but it must be said that the fruit Lithodora of the same genus has been used as a desatascador and refreshing.

Family: Boraginaceae Species: Lithodora prostate Distribution: common on the Atlantic side Habitat: scrubland Medicinal grass: no