Heliotropium europaeum

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Heliotropium europaeum
Heliotropium europaeum3.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Boraginales
Family: Boraginaceae
Genus: Heliotropium
Species:
H. europaeum
Binomial name
Heliotropium europaeum
L.

Heliotropium europaeum is a species of heliotrope known by the common names European heliotrope [1] and European turn-sole. [2] It is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, but it is widely naturalized elsewhere, such as in Australia and North America. It grows as a roadside weed in some places. This is an annual herb growing from a taproot and reaching maximum heights near 40 centimeters. The stem and oval-shaped leaves are covered in soft hairs. The inflorescences are coiled spikes of fragrant, white flowers with fuzzy or bristly sepals. Each flower is just a few millimeters wide. The fruit is a bumpy nutlet.

Contents

Toxicity

Heliotropium europaeum contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids and is poisonous. [3]

References

  1. NRCS. "Heliotropium europaeum". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  2. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  3. The MERCK Veterinary Manual, Table 5 Archived 2010-11-17 at the Wayback Machine