Cynoglossum amabile (Chinese Forget-Me-Not)

Native from central Nepal through the eastern Himalayas to central China and Thailand, it is a herbaceous plant commonly grown as an annual or biennial. It has branching stems and gray-green leaves covered with fine hairs. The lower leaves have stalks, while the smaller upper leaves attach directly to the stems. Branched flower clusters carry small blue flowers with five rounded lobes and raised scales around the throat. Pink and white forms also occur in cultivation. The fruits divide into nutlets covered with hooked prickles. The species has naturalized in Colombia and has been introduced to many other countries. Photographed in Bogotá, Colombia.