About Eryngium bourgatii Gouan
Eryngium bourgatii Gouan, commonly called Mediterranean sea holly or Pyrenean eryngo, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. It is native to Andorra, France, Spain, and Morocco. This herbaceous perennial grows 15 to 45 cm (6 to 18 in) tall, and bears spherical blue flowerheads surrounded by characteristic spiny bracts. The species was named for French medical doctor Bourgat, who collected plants in the Pyrenees alongside Antoine Gouan (the botanist who formally published the species) between 1766 and 1767. This plant is fairly common across Spain. It can be found as far south as Andalucía, and further inland in regions including Castile and León, the Community of Madrid, and Extremadura. Most of its Spanish range is concentrated in the Pyrenees and Spain's northern coastal regions, which gives the species its common name Pyrenean eryngo. In this northern area, it occurs from eastern Galicia and Asturias through Cantabria and the Basque Country, extending east into Andorra and some inland parts of Catalonia. In southwestern France, it grows throughout the Pyrenees on both sides of the French-Spanish border. Many cultivars of Eryngium bourgatii have been developed for horticultural trade; among these, the cultivar 'Oxford Blue' has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
