The nationally rare plant Purple Gromwell is found locally as a native, woodland plant. The Green Brothers mention it as locally common in the Axbridge-Cheddar area of the Mendips in their Atlas Flora of Somerset. This was the location of much of my childhood botany, so its ongoing survival is of personal concern.
Purple Gromwell’s local and regional statuses are shown in the table below:
Rare Plant Status
| Great Britain: | Least Concern (LC) |
| England: | Least Concern (LC) |
| National Status: | Rare |
| South Somerset (VC5): | Scarce |
| North Somerset (VC6): | Not Scarce |
Historical Records
The plant was first recorded in Britain near Taunton in South Somerset in 1670. Since that early record, it has declined in South Somerset to today’s scarce status. It is more readily found in North Somerset. Roe observes that it is a plant that may easily be overlooked. It is shy in flowering and not conspicuous in leaf.
Recent Records
The Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora states that the population has been more or less stable since 1930. Neglect and shading in unmanaged woodland have caused some past populations to disappear. There is a risk that the status of native plants may be obscured by an increase in garden escapes since 1962. The Wild Flowers website states that native Purple Gromwell is now very rare and getting rarer. Its distribution is localised in South West England and Wales.
Latin Name Changes
Tracking the history of this plant can also be obscured by its Latin name changes. Unusually, it has been known by fewer vernacular names than Latin names. The names of Purple Gromwell or Blue Gromwell reflect the changing colours of the flowers. Stace updated Purple Gromwell’s name from Lithospermum purpureocaeruleum to Aegonychon purpureocaeruleum in his Fourth Edition of New Flora of the British Isles. It has also previously been known as Buglossoides purpureocaerulea. Kew’s Plants of the World Online lists a total of 12 synonyms for the species known from Europe to North Iran.
A New Type Genus
Eminent Czech botanist, Josef Holub, proposed Purple Gromwell as a new type genus in 1973. His proposal for Aegonychon was adopted by Flora Iberica in 2012. Cecchi’s 2014 taxonomic paper resurrected the view that Aegonychon should be a separate genus. The previous genera were considered too diverse. The Aegonychon genus is restricted to a classification of 3 woodland plants.
Name Origin
Holub did not invent the genus name. Aegonychon was already in existence. Online research suggests that the name was created by one of two botanists by the name of Gray. Asa Gray (1810-88) is considered the father of American botany. The alternative supported by Brummit & Powell’s Authors of Plant Names database (1992) is British botanist and mycologist, Samuel Frederick Gray (1766-1828).
Name Meaning
What does the genus name mean? According to Quattrocchi, Aegonychon comes from the Greek aigonyx/aigonychos meaning goat-hoofed. Like Linnaeus’ original name of Lithospermum (stone seed), it is inspired by the appearance of the seeds. Onyx/onychos suggests a claw nail resemblance. The epithet purpureocaeruleum has remained constant. It combines purple and blue to describe the changing colours of the flowers.
Scientific Rigour
Modern taxonomists understandably want precision based on the latest DNA research, evolutionary knowledge and morphological analysis. Aegonychon‘s 1973-2019 timeline demonstrates that they are not hasty in revising a plant’s Latin name. Nevertheless, it is much easier to consult plant records if Latin names remain constant. The issues relate to application rather than scientific rigour.
Application Issues
There is already a potential muddle in separating native plants and garden escapes for plant recorders. Horticulture resists name changes for even longer than taxonomists. Go to any garden centre and you will see the time lag. Updating databases can be time-consuming, error-prone and expensive. Two Latin names can be in simultaneous use (sometimes more when taxonomists are in dispute). It is confusing for those who have known several names for the same plant in their lifetime. Different printed and online resources can conflict. Authoritative sources are expensive and often inaccessible for the learner, especially for that important next generation of young botanists. Simple, definitive answers are hard to find.
Which Latin?
Staggered international acceptance undermines one of the key advantages of Latin names. It leaves taxonomists no longer speaking the same Latin.
Broken Links
© Karen Andrews
Tracking the historic locations of rare plants is important to Red List status. Excessive name changes break and obscure record links. Does this pose the risk that a rare, but easily overlooked plant might be neglected at a critical time for its survival? I hope not.
According to Grigson, everyone should try to see Purple Gromwell. He compares its beauty to that of Gentiana verna, the Spring Gentian. The flower changes from reddish-purple to an intense blue. The blue fades quickly if picked and the leaves droop. It is a flower best admired in the field. Long may it continue to flower in the Mendips for future generations.
References and Further Reading
- Biological Records Centre (2020?): Lithospermum purpureocaeruleum. Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora.
- Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland (2020): Rare Plant Registers.
- Cecchi, Lorenzo et al. (2014): Non-monophyly of Buglossoides (Boraginaceae: Lithospermeae): Phylogenetic and morphological evidence for the expansion of Glandora and reappraisal of Aegonychon. October 2014. Taxon 63(5).
- Green, Paul R. & Green, Ian P. & Crouch, Geraldine A. (1997): The Atlas Flora of Somerset. (Self-published).
- Grigson, Geoffrey (1996): The Englishman’s Flora. Helicon. Oxford.
- Kew Science (2020): Aegonychon purpureocaeruleum (L.) Holub. Plants of the World Online.
- Krahulec, František & Pyšek, Petr (1999): Josef Holub (1930 – 1999). Taxon, November 1999. (pp. 849–851).
- Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000): CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology. Volume 1 A–C. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. U.S.A.
- Rand, Martin & Mundell, Tony (2011): Hampshire Rare Plant Register. Rare, Scarce and Threatened Vascular Plants of Hampshire.
- Roe, R. G. B. (1981): The Flora of Somerset. Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society.
- Somerset Rare Plants Group (2020): Somerset Rare Plant Register 2020.
- Stace, Clive (2010): New Flora of the British Isles. Third Edition.
- Vale of Glamorgan Council (?): Purple Gromwell.
- Wild Flower Finder (2020): Purple Gromwell.
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Karen does not seek or receive any commercial interest or advantage from this blog. She is not promoting any business venture. She simply loves to share fascinating facts about plants. These pages illustrate her love of plants, botany, biodiversity, gardens and creative expression. There is always so much to learn about plant diversity. This blog is designed as a showcase for photography, commentary on plants and wildlife, gardens and other places visited, horticulture and related topics. Viewpoints are her own, not those of her employer.
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