Viper's Bugloss or Blueweed in September (Echium vulgare or Echium wierzbickii; zmijowiec zwyczajny in Polish; other common names: adderwort, blue devil, see moreblue thistle, bugloss, cat's tail, North American blueweed, snake flower, viper's grass, and viper's herb). It is an upright annual or biennial plant with dense cylindrical spikes of bell-shaped violet-blue flowers with protruding stamens and lance-shaped leaves with bristly hairs. Its spotted stem resembles a viper. The flowers are followed by rough nutlets resembling viper heads. Echium vulgare was once used as a treatment for viper bites, hence its common name. It does not attract snakes or vipers. In pharmacy, Herba Echii is used (soothing and calming the nerves). An overdose results in liver damage and hallucinations. The plant can be invasive in certain areas and is considered a noxious weed.
