Heliotropium
Vanilla flower ( Heliotropium arborescens )
The solstices ( Heliotropium ) is a plant genus in the subfamily Heliotropioideae within the family Boraginaceae ( Boraginaceae ). It contains around 250 species.
Description
The solstices are annuals or perennials. Both herbaceous plants, subshrubs, and trees occur. The plants are hairy, rarely rough. The alternate, rarely opposite permanent leaves are fine and soft hairy on both sides, sessile or stalked.
Most end, rarely laterally are many flowers arranged, whose major axis is in some species but shortened so that a umbel- like inflorescence is produced in slabs; In most species, however, the coils are long and narrow. The white, white- bluish to blue, sometimes in the throat and yellowish corollas have only a short corolla tube and wheel-shaped corolla lobes spreading. The ovary is, unlike most Raublattgewächsen, undivided and decomposes only at maturity in four fruit. The straight or curved seeds usually have a thin endosperm.
Dissemination
The genus Heliotropium is widespread in tropical to temperate zones worldwide.
Types (selection)
- Vanilla flower ( Heliotropium arborescens L.): The home is Peru
- Heliotropium L. curassavicum: The home is North and South America and Australia
- European solstice ( Heliotropium europaeum L.): The home is Europe, North Africa, Asia, Australia; in North America it is naturalized
- Velvetleaf ( Heliotropium foertherianum Diane & Hilger ): The home is Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific
- Heliotropium indicum L.: The home is South America, but is naturalized worldwide
- Heliotropium pannifolium Burch. ex Hemsl. It is extinct. The home was the island of St. Helena.
Etymology
Its botanical genus name is synonymous with the German: helios is the Greek word for "sun" and trepein called " contact ". The name comes from the nature of the plant to turn their leaves with the sun.
Pictures
European solstice ( Heliotropium europaeum )
Velvetleaf ( Heliotropium foertherianum )
Swell
- Gelin Zhu, Harald Riedl, Rudolf V. camel: Boraginaceae. In: Flora of China. Volume 16, 1995, p 338: Heliotropium
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