Description Pulmonaria

flowers of pulmonaria officinalis

lungworts evergreen or herbaceous perennials form clumps or rosettes. covered in hairs of varied length , stiffness, , bear glands. underground parts consist of creeping rhizome adventitious roots. flowering stems unbranched, rough, covered bristly hairs, not exceeding 30 cm (12 in), few exceptions (p. mollis, p. vallarsae). stems upright, or spreading.

the leaves arranged in rosettes. blades large, narrowly lanceolate oval, base ranging heart shaped gradually narrowing, , can have sharply pointed or blunt tip. leaf margin entire, in species , forms can rather wavy. basal leaves carried on stalks can short or longer leaf blade in various species. stem leaves smaller , narrower, , unstalked or clasping stem. leaves covered hairs bristly, or soft. leaves prominently spotted in black , blue, or in pale green, or unspotted.

the inflorescence terminal scorpioid cyme, bracts. flowers heterostylous, 2 distinct forms of flower within each species; short stamens , long styles ( pin flowers) , long stamens , short styles ( thrum flowers), former being larger , more showy. calyx hairy, 5-lobed, tubular or funnel-shaped, enlarging fruit ripens. corolla funnel-shaped , consists of long, cylindrical tube , limb 5 shallow lobes. within corolla throat, 5 tufts of hairs alternate stamens form ring. colour of corolla varies purple, violet or blue shades of pink , red, or white. colour of flower in bud pink, changes flower matures. stamens , style included within corolla , not protruding.

the nutlets smooth, egg-shaped, brownish, 4.5 mm long , 3 mm wide, each containing single seed. 4 nutlets per flower produced, ripening in summer.

pulmonaria species used food plants larvae of lepidoptera species. these include case-bearer coleophora pulmonariella feeds exclusively on p. saccharata, , moth ethmia pusiella has been recorded on p. offininale.