Stace (2010) pg 565/ Rose & O’Reilly (2006) pg 361/ BSBI Distribution: http://www.bsbimaps.org.uk/atlas/map_page.php?spid=596.0

This plant is common around the Lifeboat house and around the dunes in its immature form. One mature plant by the lifeboat house door has been located (fieldwork 2011).

This hairy biennial grows erect with stems reaching 60(90)cm (Stace 2010). In the mature stage of the lifecycle, the basal leaves are stalked, elliptical and 10-25cm. The upper leaves are stalkless and lanceolate (Rose &O’Reilly 2006):

The fruits are 4 flattened oval nutlets, 5-6mm wide with hooked bristles (Rose & O’Reilly 2006). Nutlets with distinct thickened rim and uniformly spiney (Stace 2010):

At an early stage in development the leaves are the same length but a lighter green (Rose & O’Reilly 2006):

Immature plants also have hairy leaves and grow in a basal rosette (Rose & O’Reilly 2006):

This compares to the older plant which has darker, less hairy leaves (Rose & O’Reilly 2006):

Like other Cynoglossums, the flowers are spiralled in terminal, lateral cymes. The calyx is divided nearly to the base (Stace 2010) and calyx lobes are 1cm long (Rose & O’Reilly 2006):

The pedicels are less that 5mm and corollas are 6-10mm (Stace 2010), funnel shaped, equally 5 lobed and dull purplish-red (Rose & O’Reilly 2006):