A genus of flowering plants in the borage family, including the purple viper's bugloss, known for their spiky stems and blue or purple flowers.
From Greek 'echion' (viper's bugloss), from 'echis' (viper), possibly because the seed shape resembles a viper's head or the bristly plant looks viper-like.
Some Echium species like Echium candicans are invasive in California and Mediterranean regions, but their flowers are absolute magnets for native bees—they produce twice as much nectar as many other wildflowers, making them ecological double-agents!
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