Symphytum officinale

"Notes: Western Ghats, Cultivated, Native of Europe"

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Common Comfrey has naturalized in NE Illinois and scattered counties elsewhere within the state (see Distribution Map). Such naturalized plants are uncommon. Common Comfrey was introduced into North America from Eurasia as a medicinal herb. It is still cultivated in gardens. Habitats include damp grassy meadows, riverbanks, vacant lots, areas along roadsides and railroads, ditches, and waste areas. Areas with a history of disturbance are preferred.

Symphytum uliginosum Kern:
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Symphytum officinale subsp. uliginosum Nyman:
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Symphytum officinale L.:
Canada (North America)
Kyrgyzstan (Asia)
Kazakhstan (Asia)
Russian Federation (Asia)
Tajikistan (Asia)
Turkmenistan (Asia)
United States (North America)
China (Asia)
Uzbekistan (Asia)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Herbs forming tussocks, 30-90 cm tall, arcuate hispid, short strigose. Main roots purplish brown, stout. Stems erect or ascending, branched. Basal leaves long petiolate, lorate-lanceolate to ovate, 30-60 × 10-20 cm, apex acuminate; middle and upper stem leaves sessile, smaller, base decurrent. Inflorescences many flowered. Calyx parted nearly to base; lobes lanceolate, apex acuminate. Corolla light purple, purple-red, or yellowish white, 1.4-1.5 cm; throat appendages ca. 4 mm, not exserted beyond limb; lobes triangular, apex revolute. Filaments ca. 3 mm; lower part nearly as wide as anthers; anthers ca. 3.5 mm, apex with somewhat prominent connective. Ovary usually sterile, occasionally only 1 mericarp develops in a few flowers. Nutlets black, oblique ovoid or ovoid, 3-4 mm, smooth, shiny. Fl. May-Oct. 2n = 24 + 0-4b, 26, 32-45*, 46-48, 56.

Common Comfrey has naturalized in NE Illinois and scattered counties elsewhere within the state (see Distribution Map). Such naturalized plants are uncommon. Common Comfrey was introduced into North America from Eurasia as a medicinal herb. It is still cultivated in gardens. Habitats include damp grassy meadows, riverbanks, vacant lots, areas along roadsides and railroads, ditches, and waste areas. Areas with a history of disturbance are preferred.

Forests. Fujian, Hebei, Liaoning, Taiwan, Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; Europe]

For North America, little is known about floral-faunal relationships for this plant. According to Müller (1873/1883) in Germany, nectar-seeking long-tongued bees are the primary pollinators of the flowers, particularly bumblebees and Anthophorine bees (Anthophora spp.); sometimes bumblebees steal nectar by chewing holes near the corolla bases of the flowers. Müller also reported that honeybees, Halictid bees, and Syrphid flies (Rhingia sp.) would also steal nectar from the corolla holes that were created by bumblebees. Common Comfrey is somewhat toxic to mammalian herbivores and humans because it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Over a period of time, these alkaloids can cause irreversible liver damage if the foliage and especially the roots are consumed in sufficient quantity. Horses, cattle, goats, and pigs are susceptible to being poisoned; apparently sheep are more resistant to adverse reactions.

Foodplant / miner
communal larva of Agromyza ferruginosa mines leaf of Symphytum officinale
Other: sole host/prey

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
circular, bordered, embedded sorus of Entyloma serotinum parasitises live leaf of Symphytum officinale
Remarks: season: 9

Foodplant / parasite
cleistothecium of Golovinomyces cynoglossi parasitises live Symphytum officinale

Foodplant / pathogen
hypophyllous telium of Melampsorella symphyti infects and damages live leaf of Symphytum officinale

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Melanagromyza symphyti feeds within leaf (petiole) of Symphytum officinale
Other: sole host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
sporangium of Peronospora symphyti parasitises live Symphytum officinale

Foodplant / miner
larva of Phytomyza symphyti mines leaf of Symphytum officinale
Other: sole host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
gregarious or scattered, erumpent through slits apothecium of Pirottaea symphyti is saprobic on dead stem of Symphytum officinale

Foodplant / spot causer
mainly hypophyllous colony of Ramularia hyphomycetous anamorph of Ramularia calcea causes spots on live leaf of Symphytum officinale

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 4
Specimens with Barcodes: 5
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked

The preference is full sun to light shade, moist to mesic conditions, and fertile soil containing loam. There are few problems with insect pests and disease organisms.