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 white flowers with fuzzy or bristly sepals. Each flower is just a few millimeters wide. The fruit is a bumpy nutlet.
| Heliotropium europaeum | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Boraginales |
| Family: | Boraginaceae |
| Genus: | Heliotropium |
| Species: | H. europaeum
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| Binomial name | |
| Heliotropium europaeum | |
Toxicity
editHeliotropium europaeum contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids and is poisonous.[3]
References
edit- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Heliotropium europaeum". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ The MERCK Veterinary Manual, Table 5 Archived 2010-11-17 at the Wayback Machine
External links
edit
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