Example ⟳ +
An example collection, so you can see what this page does. Nothing added here is kept: leaving deletes it.
Anchusa cretica; photograph Konstantinos M., CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons CC BYKonstantinos M., CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Anchusa cretica Mill.

Boraginaceae · Albania, Greece +3

English names not checked: Wikidata's common names were not read for this page.

Add one to my plants
Sow seed
Anchusa cretica, photograph Stefan.lefnaer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsAnchusa cretica, photograph Stefan.lefnaer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsAnchusa cretica, photograph Stefan.lefnaer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsAnchusa cretica, photograph Stefan.lefnaer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsAnchusa cretica, photograph Stefan.lefnaer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsAnchusa cretica, photograph Stefan.lefnaer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 10 photographs ›
Habitat figures
Cold floor (1 night in 100)
-3.0°C
Record low -11.3 °C in 44 years, at a typical spot in the range NASA POWER
Warmest month, mean daily high
27°C
Jul and Aug at the habitat CHELSA
Rain a year (median across the range)
1,069mm
12 months of 25 mm or more in the median year CHELSA
Open-sky light
11–45DLI
Lowest to highest month (DLI) CHELSA
The year in your months, northern hemisphere
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
Wet winters: the rain comes September to March, read as a winter growing season. rain rule, CHELSA
Northern hemisphere unless you set your site. The chart is in the habitat's months.

Cultivation

Seasons

The rain rule reads a winter growing season: 70% of the median year's rain (825 mm of 1,073 mm) falls in September to March, cooler than the year (wet-season mean 10.9 °C against a yearly mean of 14.6 °C). Months are the habitat's, northern hemisphere; shifted six months for a southern-hemisphere collection: March to September.

Rain

1,073 mm in the median year at the habitat, 825 mm of it September to March. Wettest month November at 160 mm, driest month July at 28 mm. Across the grid cells of the range the year's total runs 715 mm to 1,551 mm, the 10th to 90th percentile of each cell's own year. The median of the cells' own yearly totals, 1,069 mm, is the year's rain at the top of the page; the 1,073 mm here is the median year's, the twelve monthly medians added, which the rain rule reads. Habitat calendar, northern hemisphere; median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA.

Light

Open sky over the habitat: 11 to 45 mol/m²/day across the year (daily light integral, median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA; the lowest 10th-percentile month across the cells is 9, the highest 90th-percentile month 48).

Warmth and air
Temperature

Coldest: the 1st-percentile night over 44 years at a typical spot in the range is -3.0 °C, the absolute minimum -11.3 °C, 1,129 frost nights in 44 years, 25.7 a year (NASA POWER daily minima). Warmest: the 99th-percentile day is 37.5 °C. Monthly means: the coldest month's mean nightly low 2.5 °C in January and February (across the grid cells of the range -1.6 °C to 8.1 °C), the warmest month's mean daily high 27.1 °C in August (median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA). Cold floor: -3.0 °C, which is the 1st-percentile night over 44 years at a typical spot in the range (NASA POWER).

Humidity

Relative humidity at the habitat: 54 to 62% across the year (monthly means, median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA). A figure about the air, saying nothing about how the plant takes water.

How this section is made

Each card states this species' habitat figures with their sources, and what two fixed rules read from them; nothing here says what the plant does, wants or tolerates. The rules · the terms.

Seasons. Read from the median year of CHELSA monthly rainfall and mean temperature across the grid cells of the range: the rain rule takes the smallest set of months carrying 70% of the rain and calls it winter when its mean is more than half a degree below the year's, summer when more than that above, and neither in between; the temperature rule, used only under 120 mm, names the cooler six months when they are at least a degree cooler than the other six. Months are shifted for the other hemisphere only where the temperature curve moves 4 °C or more and the habitat lies 10° or more from the equator. A reading of the curves, not an observation of the plant.

Rain. CHELSA monthly precipitation, median year across the grid cells of the range. The rain that falls where the species is recorded; nothing about how the plant takes water.

Light. CHELSA shortwave radiation at each envelope cell, a daily-mean flux taken to a daily total and converted at 2.07 mol of PAR per MJ. The sky over the habitat, measured; what reaches a plant under a rock, a shrub or a shade cloth is not.

Temperature. NASA POWER daily minima and maxima over 44 years at a typical spot in the range, lapse-corrected -73 m to its elevation; CHELSA monthly means, median year across the grid cells of the range. The cold floor is the 1st-percentile night named in its sentence. Not a measured survival limit for any plant in a pot.

Humidity. CHELSA relative humidity, median year across the grid cells of the range.

Climate across the habitat

Habitat months, northern hemisphere

Habitat climate of Anchusa cretica through the yearWarmest months July and August, mean daily high 27 °C; coldest months January and February, mean nightly low 2.5 °C; 1,073 mm of rain in the median year (the twelve monthly medians added). Medians across the range, from CHELSA; the extremes at the edge from NASA POWER. Habitat months, northern hemisphere.-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°frost37.5° 99th-percentile day, NASA POWER-11.3° lowest night in 44 years, NASA POWER°C · day and nightcold quarter050100150200250mm rainDLI 11–45RH 54–62%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
day night rain medians and 10th–90th percentile across 372 habitat cells, CHELSA cold quarter: the three months around the coldest month's mean nightly low extremes over 44 years at a typical spot in the range, from NASA POWER, marked at the edge, in no month DLI, mol/m²/dayRH %each on its own scale
Figures by month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Day °C9 / 6–1210 / 6–1212 / 9–1416 / 13–1720 / 17–2224 / 21–2727 / 24–3027 / 24–3023 / 20–2519 / 16–2114 / 11–1610 / 7–13
Night °C3 / -2–83 / -2–85 / 1–98 / 4–1212 / 8–1616 / 12–2019 / 15–2319 / 15–2316 / 12–2012 / 8–177 / 4–134 / 0–10
Rain mm111 / 62–16396 / 60–16094 / 60–14580 / 52–12661 / 35–9644 / 17–8428 / 11–4935 / 18–7392 / 44–139121 / 71–180160 / 94–237151 / 90–239
DLI13 / 11–1518 / 16–2127 / 25–3034 / 32–3740 / 39–4345 / 42–4845 / 43–4740 / 38–4230 / 28–3321 / 19–2414 / 12–1611 / 9–13
RH %61 / 58–6560 / 57–6359 / 57–6159 / 57–6158 / 55–6256 / 52–6154 / 51–5955 / 52–6058 / 55–6160 / 58–6362 / 59–6462 / 58–66
How this section is made
Each figure is the median across the 372 grid cells holding the 630 in-range records, with the 10th–90th percentile span across those cells after the slash where it differs. A dash is a month one or more of those cells has no figure for in the grid (a variable CHELSA does not carry there), so no median is taken rather than one over fewer cells. Extremes and elevation were read at a typical spot in the range, cell 981:3895 (40.925, 14.775). Over 44 years there: absolute minimum -11.3 °C, 1st-percentile night -3.0 °C, 99th-percentile day 37.5 °C. Normals: CHELSA V2.1 1981–2010 climatology, 0.05° cells (each the mean of ~36 1 km pixels). Across the range: median and 10th–90th percentile of each month across the 372 distinct grid cells holding 630 of the 630 in-range records; extremes and elevation at the typical cell 981:3895 (its coldest month's mean nightly low nearest the median across cells); its position is the cell centre. Extremes: NASA POWER (MERRA-2) daily 1981–2024, cell 41.00_15.000, lapse-corrected -73 m at 6.5 °C/km. Elevation: ETOPO 2022, 423 m (cell mean).

Natural habitat

Native range as published by WCVP; the marker is where the records are densest and decides nothing: the climate was read across the cells of the in-range records placed well enough to read one, not at the marker.
Openly licensed records inside the range, framed on where they fall.

This species has no GBIF key of its own. Its records are GBIF's under the key of the name Kew's World Checklist holds as this plant: 4065790 (Anchusella cretica (Mill.) Bigazzi, E.Nardi & Selvi, 1063 records). No name was matched to GBIF; the keys are read from Kew's synonymy. How.

NativeAlbania, Greece, Italy, Sicilia, Yugoslavia · regions are the level-3 units of the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, as Kew's World Checklist records ranges, some under historical names such as Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia (how).
Map marker39.359, 21.097 · in the densest population, 419 records (43% of those in range)
Kew's description“annual” · “subtropical” · quoted from WCVP, RBG Kew (CC BY 4.0); not derived here
Evidence usedThe map marker rests on all 965 georeferenced records inside the native range; the climate across the range on the 630 of them placed to within 10 km; the map shows only the 418 openly licensed ones, which alone would put the marker 26 km away. 4 records outside the WCVP native range not used. 335 in-range records are placed to worse than 10 km, or with no stated accuracy (admitted only as a person's observation to three decimals), and stay on the map but off the climate.
Other GBIF keysRecords also from GBIF's key 4065790 (Anchusella cretica (Mill.) Bigazzi, E.Nardi & Selvi): Kew's file holds it as Anchusella cretica (Mill.) Bigazzi, E.Nardi & Selvi (synonym under Anchusa cretica Mill.); 1,063 records, from GBIF's download.
How this section is made
The map marker: the openly licensed record nearest the middle of the densest 1° population of the 965 in-range records; it decides nothing. Records outside the native range, living specimens and records marked introduced are not used; which records count.

Photographs

Anchusa cretica, photograph 1did not loadAnchusa cretica, photograph 2did not loadAnchusa cretica, photograph 3did not loadAnchusa cretica, photograph 4did not loadAnchusa cretica, photograph 5did not loadAnchusa cretica, photograph 6did not load

Photographs: Stefan.lefnaer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (6).

Similar habitat climate The 6 nearest by mean daily high, mean nightly low and rain, month by month. How.

Ornithogalum exscapum Ornithogalum exscapum Asparagaceae Photo: CC BY, Francesco SantoroCrocus thomasii Crocus thomasii Thomas crocus Photo: CC BY, LjažLilium candidum Lilium candidum Madonna lily Photo: CC BY, yelena_antipovaAsphodeline liburnica Asphodeline liburnica Jacob's Rod Photo: CC BY, Jacek KurzawaTeucrium flavum Teucrium flavum Yellow Germander Photo: CC BY, LjažAnemone hortensis Anemone hortensis Broad-leaved anemone Photo: CC BY, Mark Breaks

Other Anchusa 11 in the reference

Anchusa arvensis Anchusa arvensis Boraginaceae Photo: CC0, AnRo0002Anchusa azurea Anchusa azurea Garden anchusa Photo: CC BY, zebedeugalinhaAnchusa calcarea Anchusa calcarea Boraginaceae Photo: CC BY, Dmitry TrutskoAnchusa capensis Anchusa capensis Cape alkanet Photo: CC0, author not statedAnchusa crispa Anchusa crispa Boraginaceae Photo: CC BY-SA, Lucas Benaiche Anchusa formosa Boraginaceae Anchusa hybrida Anchusa hybrida Boraginaceae Photo: CC BY, Stefan CurthAnchusa leptophylla Anchusa leptophylla Boraginaceae Photo: CC0, author not stated Anchusa montelinasana Boraginaceae Anchusa officinalis Anchusa officinalis Alkanet Photo: CC BY, Bobo-XAnchusa undulata Anchusa undulata Undulate alkanet Photo: CC BY, zebedeugalinha

Names & registers

Also known as Lycopsis variegata var. albiflora; Lycopsis variegata f. albiflora; Lycopsis cretica; Anchusella cretica; Lycopsis arvensis f. albiflora. (WCVP, RBG Kew)

IPNIPOWOWikidataWFO

The record

Family
Boraginaceae
Described by
Mill.
Native to
Albania, Greece, Italy +2
Wild records
965 in range · 418 open

Every figure here is derived from public data by a stated rule and names its source; nothing about this species is written for its page by a person or by AI, apart from the marked, credited quotations. How →

Where this page came from built 2026-10-22
Kew's names (WCVP) kew.names answeredas of 2026-06-04Kew's entry Anchusa cretica Mill. (plant_name_id 2636499), read from Kew's names file
GBIF species record gbif.species not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
GBIF synonyms gbif.synonyms not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
GBIF common names gbif.vernacular not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
WCVP native range wcvp.distribution answeredas of 2026-06-04
GBIF occurrence records gbif.occurrences answeredas of 2026-10-21this species has no GBIF key of its own; its records are read under GBIF's keys for the names Kew's file holds as this plant, never by a name matched; GBIF occurrence download https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.hbdw64, of 2026-10-21; 1063 records of GBIF's key 4065790, Anchusella cretica (Mill.) Bigazzi, E.Nardi & Selvi (Kew's file holds it as Anchusella cretica (Mill.) Bigazzi, E.Nardi & Selvi (synonym under Anchusa cretica Mill.)): the GBIF download; 2 records within 1 km of a botanic garden, herbarium or zoo left out (2 at a botanic garden or arboretum; Wikidata's list)
Habitat climate climate answeredasked 2026-10-22
Daily extremes (NASA POWER) climate.extremes answeredasked 2026-10-22NASA POWER (MERRA-2) daily 1981–2024, cell 41.00_15.000, lapse-corrected -73 m at 6.5 °C/km
Wikidata wikidata answeredasked 2026-10-22found by Kew's IPNI identifier 113223-1, POWO 113223-1
Wikipedia wikipedia nothing to reportasked 2026-10-22
iNaturalist photographs, wild inat.photos.wild not asked
iNaturalist photographs, cultivated inat.photos.cultivated not asked
GBIF media gbif.media not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
Wikimedia Commons commons answeredasked 2026-10-22
OpenAlex papers openalex not askednot yet asked for this reference; a later fill takes the papers from OpenAlex's snapshot

Every source is recorded as having answered, reported nothing, refused, failed, not been asked, or answered twice where one answer is taken (“not taken: two items answered”), and, for a source asked when this page was built, when: the figures are as the source held them that day; a source read from a file (Kew's World Checklist, a GBIF download) says "as of" the file's day instead; a row carried from an earlier build of the page names that build instead. Only “nothing to report” is ever shown as an absence. Records came from 23 datasets via GBIF.org; each carries its own licence.

Cultifolio

Opening your plants…