Common comfrey (Symphytum officinale)
Description
Symphytum officinale is a perennial flowering plant of the genus Symphytum in the family Boraginaceae. Along with thirty four other species of Symphytum, it is known as comfrey. To differentiate it from other members of the genus Symphytum, this species is known as common comfrey or true comfrey. Other English names include Quaker comfrey, cultivated comfrey, boneset, knitbone, consound, and slippery-root. It is native to Europe and it is known elsewhere, including North America, as an introduced species and sometimes a weed. The flowers are mostly visited by bumblebees. The plant was rated in fourth place for per day nectar production per flower in a UK plants survey conducted by the AgriLand project which is supported by the UK Insect Pollinators Initiative. When number of flowers per floral unit, flower abundance, and phenology were taken into account it was the only member of the top 10 list for that measurement that also placed in the top 10 list for most nectar per unit cover per year. This means that this plant not only produces a great deal of sugar in its nectar on a daily basis, it provides a lot of nectar when compared to other UK plants tested in that survey on a yearly basis, making it a strong source of nectar overall.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Boraginales
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Family: Boraginaceae
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Genus: Symphytum
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