Hound's Tongue

Hound's Tongue
(Cynoglossum officinale)

This is a weedy plant that grows about 2 feet tall. It is a native of Europe and Asia, but now occurs all over the United States. It has the typically shaped Borage flowers, with 5 petals fused into a tube at the base. The flowers are about 1/4 inch across, and are a dark maroon red in color.

Some of the common names for the plant are dog-bur, wool-mat, and beggar's-lice. These names reflect a characteristic of the seeds -- they are covered with little barbs, which help them stick to fur or clothing and be distributed to other places.