Heliotropium ovalifolium Forssk., Boraginaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: grey leaf heliotrope

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Perennial herb, up to 90 cm tall, sometimes with woody base, much branched; young branches silvery pubescent. Leaves alternate, simple; stipules absent; petiole up to 1.5(-2) cm long; blade elliptical or obovate, up to 5.5 cm x 2.5 cm; base cuneate; apex retuse, mucronate or acute. Inflorescence a spike-like cyme, silky hairy, without bracts, with flowers arranged in two ranks, up to 4 cm long. Flowers bisexual, regular, 5-merous; calyx with almost free lobes, densely covered with antrorse hairs; corolla funnel-shaped, up to 3 mm long, pubescent outside, lobes ovate-triangular, up to 2 mm long; stamens included in corolla tube, with very short filaments; ovary superior, 4-celled. Fruit splitting into 4 nutlets, densely white hairy" (PROTABASE).

"Plante herbacée pérenne, atteignant 90 cm de hauteur, parfois lignifiée à la base, très ramifiée; jeunes branches pubescentes argentées. Feuilles alternes, simples; stipules absentes; pétiole jusqu'à 1.5(-2) cm de long ; limbe elliptique ou obovale, jusqu'à 5.5 cm x 2,5 cm; base cunéiforme; apex rétus, mucroné ou aigu. Inflorescence: cyme spiciforme, à pubescence soyeuse, dépourvue de bractées, à fleurs disposées sur deux rangs, jusqu'à 4 cm de long. Fleurs bisexuées, régulières, 5-mères; calice à lobes presque libres, densément couvert de poils antrorses; corolle en forme d'entonnoir, jusqu'à 3 mm de long, pubescente à l'extérieur, lobes ovales-triangulaires, jusqu'à 2 mm de long; étamines incluses dans le tube de la corolle, à filets très courts; ovaire supère, 4-loculaire. Fruit se fendant en 4 nucules, densément couvertes de poils blancs" (PROTABASE).

Habitat/ecology:  In its native Africa, "Heliotropium ovalifolium occurs in diverse habitats, though drier places are preferred in general" (PROTABASE).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Africa, tropical Asia, Australia (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
British Indian Ocean Territory Chagos Archipelago	Diego Garcia Island	cultivated	Topp, J. M. W. (1988) (p. 10)
British Indian Ocean Territory Chagos Archipelago	Diego Garcia Island	introduced invasive	Rivers, Julie (2004) (p. 3)

Additional information:
Additional online information about Heliotropium ovalifolium is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Heliotropium ovalifolium as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Heliotropium ovalifolium may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Rivers, Julie. 2004. Botanical survey update of Diego Garcia, Chagos Archipeligo, British Indian Ocean Territory. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific. 16 pp. plus "List of the higher plants of Diego Garcia".

Schmelzer, G. H./Gurib-Fakim, A., eds. 2006. PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l'Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. PROTABASE online resource.

Topp, J. M. W. 1988. An annotated check list of the flora of Diego Garcia, British Ocean Territory. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 313. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 21 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.