The small radially symmetrical flowers are sapphire blue and retain their colour a long time.

The plants show numerous flowers with five sepals, united at their bases, and five petals forming a narrow tube facing upwards.

[2] The roots of Anchusa (just like those of Alkanna and Lithospermum) contain anchusin (or alkanet-red), a red-brown resinoid colouring matter.

If we consider Anchusa s.l., then it includes the subgenus Limbata, which diverges markedly in its floral morphology.

The subgenera Buglossum, Buglossellum and Buglossoides clearly need new independent entities, while the subgenus Anchusa needs a narrower concept.