Heliotropium europaeum
Species of flowering plant in the borage family
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Heliotropium europaeum is a species of heliotrope known by the common names European heliotrope[1] and European turn-sole.[2]
| Heliotropium europaeum | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Boraginales |
| Family: | Heliotropiaceae |
| Genus: | Heliotropium |
| Species: | H. europaeum |
| Binomial name | |
| Heliotropium europaeum | |
Description
Heliotropium europaeum is an annual herb growing from a taproot and reaching maximum heights near 40 centimeters (16 in). 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.
Distribution and habitat
The species is native to Eurasia 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.
Toxicity
It contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids and is poisonous.[3]
