Omphalodes verna (common names Creeping Navelwort or Blue-eyed Mary) is a herbaceous perennial rhizomatous plant of the genus Omphalodes belonging to the family Boraginaceae.

Etymology

The genus name Omphalodes derives from the Greek word omphalòs, meaning navel, referred to the shape of the small fruits, while the name verna of the species, deriving from the Latin vernus, refers to the early blooming flowers.

Description

Close—up on flowers of Omphalodes verna

Omphalodes verna can reach 20–30 centimetres (7.9–12 in) in height. The plant has a stem that snakes across the ground (hence the alternative name of Creeping forget-me-not). It has its overwintering buds situated just below the soil surface (hemicryptophyte). This species can spread quickly, it is hard to uproot and by some accounts may even be invasive, but mostly coexists with other plants well.

Its leaves are grooved, semi-evergreen and medium green, about30 millimetres (1.2 in) long and 20 millimetres (0.79 in) wide. They are veiny, with fine hairs and oval to heart in shape, and radipdly pointed at the tip.

In Spring the plant produces clusters of 3-5 petiolated small, light blue hermaphrodite flowers with white or yellow star-shaped centers. The wheel-shaped corolla is fused and five-lobed and has a diameter of 7–15 millimetres (0.28–0.59 in). These plants bloom from March through May. The mericarps are hairy and navel-shaped, about 2 millimetres (0.079 in) long. ^[1]

Creeping Navelwort is cultivated in many countries as an ornamental plants and it may be easily propagated from seeds. It may be confused with Forget-me-not (Myosotis sparsiflora), from which may be distinguished by the quite different fruits.

Distribution

It is widespread in Central and south-eastern Europe, Pyrenees excluded. It is also present in Quebec.

Habitat

This species typically grows in the shade of trees, in fresh mountain forests (especially beech), wastelands and scrublands. The plant prefers sandy or clay loam and moist soils in shady places, at an altitude of 0–1,300 metres (0–4,300 ft) above sea level.

Gallery

• 

  Plants of Omphalodes verna

• 

  Plants

• 

  Flowers of Omphalodes verna

• 

  Flowers of Omphalodes verna

• 

  Leaves of Omphalodes verna

References

• Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia – Edagricole – 1982 – Vol. II, pag. 428
• Tutin, T.G. et al. - Flora Europaea, second edition - 1993