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Electronic Flora of South Australia genus Fact Sheet

Family: Boraginaceae
Heliotropium

Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 130 (1753).

Derivation: Greek helios, sun; tropos, turn; probably alluding to an early belief that the flowers turned to face the sun.) (Prepared by L. A. Craven

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Heliotropes.

Description:
Annual or perennial herbs, pubescent or glabrous;

Inflorescence a scorpioid cyme, simple or branched, circinnate or more or less straight; calyx 5-lobed, accrescent or not; corolla 5-lobed, salverform or subcylindrical with the lobes scarcely spreading; stamens 5, inserted on the corolla, enclosed, the filaments very short, the anthers 2-celled, free or coherent at the apex and forming a cone over the stigma; ovary 4-celled, the cells 1-ovulate; style terminal.

Mericarps 4 or sometimes fewer, falling at maturity or retained within the sepals.

Distribution:  About 250 species worldwide in tropical and temperate zones, especially in arid and semi-arid regions; in Australia about 40 species.

Biology: No text

Key to Species:
1. Corolla glabrous on the inner surface
 
2. Plant pubescent
 
3. Anthers free
 
4. Leaf margin at least slightly undulate and revolute
 
5. Calyx accrescent
H. supinum 7.
5. Calyx not accrescent
 
6. Stems and leaves with glandular and simple unicellular hairs
H. asperrimum 2.
6. Stems and leaves with simple unicellular hairs only
H. undulatum 9.
4. Leaf margin not undulate and revolute
H. europaeum 4.
3. Anthers coherent
H. ovalifolium 6.
2. Plant glabrous
H. curassavicum 3.
1. Corolla pubescent on the inner surface
 
7. Corolla lobes glabrous on the inner surface, throat bearded
 
8. Leaves 4-15 mm wide
H. amplexicaule 1.
8. Leaves 0.5-1 mm wide
H. tenuifolium 8.
7. Corolla lobes with a longitudinal band of hairs on the inner surface, throat slightly bearded
H. filaginoides 5.

Author: Not yet available


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