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Boraginaceae

(Family)

Overview

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Herbs perennial, biennial, or annual, less often lianas, shrubs, or trees, usually bristly or scabrous-pubescent. Leaves simple, exstipulate, alternate, rarely opposite, entire or serrate at margin. Inflorescences often double scorpioid cymes, rarely solitary; bracts present or absent. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, rarely zygomorphic. Calyx usually 5-parted or lobed, mostly persistent. Corolla tubular, campanulate, rotate, funnelform, or salverform; tube appendages 5, rarely more, mostly trapeziform, rarely absent, sometimes a ring of hairs present; limb usually 5-parted; lobes overlapping, rarely twisted in bud. Stamens 5, inserted on corolla tube or rarely at throat, included or rarely exserted; anthers introrse, 2-loculed, usually dorsifixed at base, less often medifixed, dehiscence longitudinal. Nectaries at base of corolla tube or on disc below ovary. Ovary superior, 2-carpellate; locules 2 and each with 2 ovules, or 4 and each with 1 ovule; ovules nearly atropous, semianatropous, or anatropous. Style terminal or gynobasic, branched or not. Gynobase flat, fastigiate, or subulate. Fruit 1-4-seeded drupes or nutlets (mericarps) ; nutlets mostly dry, often ornamented with wings, prickles and/or glochids (stiff bristles with barbed or anchorlike tips) . Seeds vertical or oblique, coat membranous; embryo straight, less often curved; cotyledons flat, fleshy.

About 156 genera and 2500 species: temperate and tropical regions, centered in the Mediterranean region; 47 genera and 294 species in China, of which four genera and 156 species are endemic.[1]

Photos

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Taxonomy

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The Family Boraginaceae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

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Actinocarya

Herbs annual. Stems slender, diffuse, sparsely short strigose or subglabrous. Leaves alternate, ovate-oblong to spatulate. Pedicel thin. Flowers solitary, axillary. Calyx 5-parted, slightly enlarged in fruit, spreading. Corolla rotate-campanulate; throat appendages 5; lobes of limb spreading, 5. Stamens inserted in corolla tube, included. Ovary 4-parted. Style not exserted; stigma subcapitate. Gynobase somewhat convex. Nutlets 4, narrowly ovoid, with glochids, abaxially convex, with some glochids confluent at base to form a cupular or crownlike emergence; attachment scar adaxially.[2] [more]

Adelocaryum

[more]

Aegonychon

[more]

Afrotysonia

[more]

Aipyanthus

[more]

Alkanna

Alkanna is a of herbaceous plants including about 50 species of the family Boraginaceae, originally from Europe, the Mediterranean, and western Asia. [more]

Allocarya

[more]

Allocaryastrum

[more]

Amblynotopsis

[more]

Amblynotus

Herbs perennial, cespitose, strigose. Leaves alternate, oblanceolate, apex obtuse. Cymes bracteate. Calyx 5-parted to base; lobes erect, linear, slightly enlarged in fruit. Corolla blue; tube shorter than calyx; throat appendaged; limb broadly campanulate, 3-5 mm wide; lobes overlapping, apex obtuse. Stamens inserted at middle of corolla tube, included; filaments extremely short; anthers oblong, base and apex obtuse. Ovary 4-parted. Style included; stigma capitate. Gynobase nearly flat. Nutlets vertical, slightly curved, adaxially longitudinally keeled; abaxially convex, glabrous, shiny; attachment scar at base adaxially, triangular.[3] [more]

Amphibologyne

[more]

Amsinckia

The fiddlenecks are the Amsinckia of flowering plants in the borage or forget-me-not family Boraginaceae. They get their name from their flower stems, which bear a large number of small flowers, and curl over at the top in a way that somewhat suggests the head of a violin. [more]

Anchusa

Herbs annual or perennial, sparsely strigose or hispid, rarely soft appressed pubescent. Stems erect or spreading. Leaves alternate. Cymes terminal, widely spaced in fruit, scorpioid; bracts lanceolate. Calyx 5-parted nearly to base or less; lobes equal or unequal, linear to triangular, often slightly enlarged in fruit. Corolla blue-purple or yellowish, regular or slightly zygomorphic; tube usually longer than calyx, straight or arcuate or geniculate curved; throat appendages scaly or tuberculate and short pubescent; limb campanulate; lobes 5, equal or unequal, apex obtuse. Stamens inserted at or below middle of corolla tube, included; filaments short, filiform; anthers ovate-oblong, apex obtuse. Ovary 4-divided. Style included in corolla tube; stigma capitate, 2-cleft. Gynobase flat. Nutlets straight, reniform, or oblique-ovoid, reticulate-wrinkled; attachment scar at or near base, margin ringlike, thickened, hardened.[4] [more]

Anchusella

[more]

Anchusopsis

[more]

Ancistrocarya

[more]

Anoplocaryum

[more]

Antiotrema

Herbs perennial, pubescent or hispid; stems erect, leafy. Basal leaves forming a rosette. Cymes in terminal paniculate clusters, ebracteate. Flowers short pedicellate. Calyx 5-parted more than 2/3 length, slightly enlarged in fruit. Corolla light blue or pale purplish red, funnelform; appendages borne below middle of corolla tube, oblong, papillose, apex obtuse; lobes orbicular, more than 2 × as long as tube. Stamens equal, exserted, inserted between appendages, lower part of filaments adnate to corolla tube; anthers oblong, obtuse. Gynobase flat. Nutlets erect, semiovoid, adaxial aperture 2-layered, longitudinal, ringlike, abaxially convex, tuberculate, inside layer membranous; attachment scar basal, orbicular-triangular. Style persistent, ca. 2 × as long as nutlets; embryo straight, erect.[5] [more]

Antiphytum

[more]

Antrophora

[more]

Argusia

Argusia is a genus of in family Boraginaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): [more]

Arguzia

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Argyrexias

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Arnebia

Plants annual or perennial, bristly or pubescent. Roots frequently containing purple dye. Stems erect or prostrate. Leaves alternate. Cymes bracteate. Flowers often heterostylous. Calyx 5-parted to base, slightly enlarged, base sometimes hardened. Corolla funnelform, usually with hairs outside; tube straight or slightly curved; throat unappendaged; limb usually shorter than tube; lobes spreading. Ovary 4-lobed. Style 2- or 4-branched, each branch terminated with 1 stigma. Gynobase flat. Long-styled flowers with included stamens inserted at middle of corolla tube; style long, slightly exserted. Short-styled flowers with stamens inserted at throat; style shorter, reaching to middle of corolla tube. Nutlets oblique-ovate, tuberculate, adaxially flat or slightly concave; attachment scar at base.[6] [more]

Arnebiola

[more]

Ascanica

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Asperugo

Herbs annual, climbing, hispid. Leaves alternate. Pedicel short or absent. Flowers solitary or fascicled at leaf axils. Calyx 5-parted, 2-dentate between lobes, strongly enlarged in fruit, bilaterally compressed, becoming somewhat clamshell-shaped, with distinct reticulate venation, irregularly emarginate-serrate; lobes unequal. Corolla violet or white, tubular; throat appendaged; limb 5-parted. Stamens included; filaments extremely short; anthers short oblong. Ovary 4-parted. Style included; stigma capitate. Gynobase subulate. Nutlets nearly flat, bilaterally compressed, densely white tuberculate, apex obtuse; attachment scar near apex adaxially. Seeds vertical; cotyledons ovate, complanate.[7] [more]

Austrocynoglossum

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Auxemma

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Baphorhiza

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Batschia

Abuta is a in the flowering plant family Menispermaceae, of about 32 species, native to tropical Central and South America. [more]

Benthamia

Benthamia is an of Orchidaceae family. [more]

Beruniella

[more]

Bessera

A Genus in the Kingdom Plantae. [more]

Beureria

[more]

Beurreria

[more]

Bilegnum

[more]

Boraginella

[more]

Boraginodes

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Borago

Borago (), common name borage, is a genus of two species of herbs with large, hairy leaves that taste mildly of cucumber, and star-shaped purple-blue flowers which are prized for their flavour. The leaves are often added to teas and salads, and the flowers have been added to wine (Borage has had a reputation to give one courage since Roman times). The flowers are highly attractive to bees. [more]

Borellia

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]

Borrachinea

[more]

Borraginoides

[more]

Borrago

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Bothriospermum

Herbs annual or biennial, hispid and appressed pubescent, hairs discoid at base. Stems erect or prostrate. Leaves alternate, ovate to oblanceolate. Cymes bracteate. Flowers pedicellate. Calyx 5-parted; lobes lanceolate, not enlarged or slightly enlarged in fruit. Corolla rotate, blue or white; tube short; throat appendages 5, scalelike; lobes 5, overlapping in bud, apex obtuse. Filaments extremely short; anthers 5, inserted in corolla tube, included; anthers ovate, obtuse. Ovary 4-parted, valves free, each containing 1 anatropous ovule. Style short, not surpassing valves; stigma capitate. Gynobase flat. Nutlets 4, with cupular emergence adaxially, rounded abaxially, tuberculate, with an oblong, elliptic, or orbicular ringlike aperture; margin of aperture thickened, prominent, entire or sometimes finely dentate; attachment scar basal. Seeds usually not curved.[8] [more]

Bourjotia

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Bourreria

Bourreria is a genus of in family Boraginaceae. [more]

Brachybotrys

Herbs perennial, with divaricate rhizomes. Leaves nearly whorled at stem apex. Calyx 5-parted to base; lobes subulate-lanceolate, slightly enlarged in fruit. Corolla subcampanulate; tube shorter than limb; throat appendages triangular-trapeziform, apex somewhat 2-cleft; lobes of limb ovate-oblong, ca. 5 mm, apex obtuse. Stamens inserted below throat, exserted; filaments subulate, base slightly expanded; anthers oblong, base slightly cordate, apex mucronulate. Ovary 4-parted. Style filiform, markedly exserted from corolla. Gynobase nearly flat. Nutlets black, tetrahedral, pubescent, shiny.[9] [more]

Brandella

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Brunnera

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Bucanion

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Buglossa

[more]

Buglossites

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Buglossoides

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Buglossum

[more]

Caccinea

[more]

Caccinia

[more]

Calyptracordia

[more]

Camptocarpus

[more]

Campylocaryum

[more]

Carmona

Shrubs or small trees. Leaves small, petiolate, alternate on annual twigs, fascicled on dwarf shoots, scabrous, adaxially white spotted, margin coarsely dentate. Inflorescences axillary, usually 2-6-flowered in widely spaced glomerules. Calyx 5-parted; lobes spreading. Corolla white; tube short; throat unappendaged; lobes spreading. Stamens exserted. Style terminal on ovary, 2-cleft nearly to