Heliotropium is a
genusIn biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of
flowering plantThe flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the
borageBorage, , also known as a starflower, is an annual herb originating in Syria, but naturalized throughout the Mediterranean region, as well as Asia Minor, Europe, North Africa, and South America. It grows to a height of , and is bristly or hairy all over the stems and leaves; the leaves are...
family,
BoraginaceaeBoraginaceae, the Borage or Forget-me-not family, include a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totaling about 2,000 species in 146 genera found worldwide.A number of familiar plants belong to this family....
. There are 250 to 300 species in this genus, which are commonly known as
heliotropes (sg. /ˈhiːli.ətroʊp/).
The name "heliotrope" derives from the fact that these plants turn their rows of flowers to the sun. Ἥλιος (
helios) is
GreekGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
for "sun", τρὀπειν (
tropein) means "to turn". The Old English name
"turnsoleTurnsole or folium was a dyestuff prepared from the annual plant Crozophora tinctoria .-History:...
" has the same meaning.
Ecology and human use
Danainae
butterfliesA butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
like to visit these plants. One reason is to drink the sap which renders the butterflies noxious to predators. Some
speciesIn biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
collect olfactory compounds to produce a kind of "perfume" to attract mates.
CaterpillarCaterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s of the Grass Jewel (
Freyeria trochylus), a gossamer-winged butterfly, feed on
H. strigosum.
Several heliotropes are popular garden plants, most notably Garden Heliotrope (
H. arborescens). Some species are weeds and many are hepatotoxic if eaten in large quantities due to abundant pyrrolizidine alkaloids. The sap of heliotrope flowers, namely of European Heliotrope (
H. europaeumHeliotropium europaeum is a species of heliotrope known by the common names European Heliotrope and European Turnsole. 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...
), was used as a
food coloringFood coloring is a substance, liquid or powder, that is added to food or drink to change its color. Food coloring is used both in commercial food production and in domestic cooking...
in
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and Early Modern
French cuisineFrench cuisine is a style of food preparation originating from France that has developed from centuries of social change. In the Middle Ages, Guillaume Tirel , a court chef, authored Le Viandier, one of the earliest recipe collections of Medieval France...
.
One of the most famous
ragtimeRagtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
pianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
melodies is
Heliotrope Bouquet, composed in 1907 by
Louis ChauvinLouis Chauvin was an American ragtime musician.Born in St. Louis, Missouri of a Mexican Spanish-Indian father and an African American mother, he was widely considered the finest pianist in the St. Louis area at the turn of the century...
(the first two strains) and
Scott JoplinScott Joplin was an American composer and pianist. Joplin achieved fame for his ragtime compositions, and was later dubbed "The King of Ragtime". During his brief career, Joplin wrote 44 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas...
(the last two strains).
Garden Heliotrope is grown in Southern Europe as an ingredient for
perfumePerfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and/or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent"...
.
Selected species
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- Heliotropium amplexicaule
Heliotropium amplexicaule is a species of heliotrope known by several common names, including clasping heliotrope, blue heliotrope, and summer heliotrope. It is native to South America, especially Argentina, but it is known on several other continents where it is an introduced species, and in some...
Vahl – Clasping Heliotrope, Summer Heliotrope, Blue Heliotrope
- Heliotropium anderssonii
Heliotropium anderssonii is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Tye, A. 2000. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
- Heliotropium anomalum
Heliotropium anomalum is a species of flowering shrub in the borage family, Boraginaceae, that is native to the Hawaiian Islands, Guam, Christmas Island, Saipan, Tinian, Wake Island and New Caledonia. Common names include Polynesian Heliotrope, Pacific Heliotrope and Hinahina kū kahakai . H. a. var...
Hook. & Arn. – Polynesian Heliotrope, Pacific Heliotrope (Pacific Islands)
- Heliotropium anomalum var. argenteum – Hinahina kū kahakai (Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
)
- Heliotropium arborescens
The Garden Heliotrope is a highly fragrant perennial plant, originally from Peru. It is especially notable for its intense, rather vanilla-like fragrance. Common names include cherry pie and "common heliotrope"...
– Garden Heliotrope, Common Heliotrope, "cherry pieA cherry pie is a pie made with cherry filling. The term may also refer to:* Cherry Pie , an album by glam metal band Warrant** "Cherry Pie ", a song from the album of the same name...
"
- Heliotropium argenteum
Heliotropium argenteum is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
- Heliotropium asperrimum R.Br.
- Heliotropium balfourii
Heliotropium balfourii is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is endemic to Yemen. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.-References:...
- Heliotropium bracteatum R.Br.
- Heliotropium conocarpum F.Muell. ex Benth.
George Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
- Heliotropium crispatum F.Muell. ex Benth.
- Heliotropium diversifolium F.Muell. ex Benth.
- Heliotropium chenopodiaceum (A.DC.) Clos.
- Heliotropium claussenii DC.
- Heliotropium convolvulaceum – Sweet-scented Heliotrope, Showy Heliotrope
- Heliotropium curassavicum
Heliotropium curassavicum is a species of heliotrope that is native to much of the Americas, from Canada to Argentina, and can be found on other continents as an introduced species...
L. – Seaside Heliotrope, Salt Heliotrope, Monkey Tail, Quail Plant, "Chinese Parsley"; Cola de Mico (Spanish)
- Heliotropium dentatum
Heliotropium dentatum is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is endemic to Yemen. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.-Source:...
- Heliotropium derafontense
Heliotropium derafontense is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is endemic to Yemen.-Source:* Miller, A. 2004. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
- Heliotropium ellipticum
- Heliotropium epacrideum F.Muell. ex Benth.
- Heliotropium europaeum
Heliotropium europaeum is a species of heliotrope known by the common names European Heliotrope and European Turnsole. 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...
L. – European Heliotrope, European Turnsole (Europe, Asia, and North Africa)
- Heliotropium fasciculatum R.Br.
- Heliotropium flintii F.Muell. ex A.S.Mitch.
- Heliotropium foertherianum
Heliotropium foertherianum is a species of flowering plant in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It is native to tropical Asia, including southern China, Madagascar, northern Australia, and most of the atolls and high islands of Micronesia and Polynesia. Common names include Tree Heliotrope, Velvet...
Diane & Hilger – Tree Heliotrope, Velvet Soldierbush, Octopus Bush (South AsiaSouth Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, East AsiaEast Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
, MelanesiaMelanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
, western PolynesiaPolynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
, northern AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
)
- Heliotropium foliatum R.Br.
- Heliotropium glabellum R.Br.
- Heliotropium heteranthum (F.Muell.) Ewart & O.B.Davies
- Heliotropium indicum
Heliotropium indicum, commonly known as Indian heliotrope, is an annual, hirsute plant that is a common weed in waste places and settled areas. It is native to Asia.-Description:...
L. – Indian Turnsole
- Heliotropium kuriense
Heliotropium kuriense is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is endemic to Yemen. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.-Source:* Miller, A. 2004. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
- Heliotropium laceolatum Loefg.
- Heliotropium lineariifolium Phil.
- Heliotropium megalanthumn I.M.Johnst.
- Heliotropium nigricans
Heliotropium nigricans is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is endemic to Yemen. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.-Source:* Miller, A. 2004. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
- Heliotropium paniculatum R.Br.
- Heliotropium pannifolium
The Saint Helena Heliotrope is now extinct but was formerly a hairy-leaved small shrub up to 1 m in height. it was only seen once, by the explorer W. Burchell in Broad Gut, Saint Helena and has never been seen again...
– St. Helena Heliotrope (Saint HelenaSaint Helena , named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Ascension Island and the islands of Tristan da Cunha...
) (extinctIn biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
, c.1820)
- Heliotropium pauciflorum R.Br.
- Heliotropium paulayanum
Heliotropium paulayanum is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is endemic to Yemen. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.-Source:* Miller, A. 2004. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
- Heliotropium peruvianum
- Heliotropium pleiopterum F.Muell.
- Heliotropium procumbens
- Heliotropium prostratum R.Br.
- Heliotropium riebeckii
Heliotropium riebeckii is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is endemic to Yemen. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical wet lowland grassland.-Source:...
- Heliotropium shoabense
Heliotropium shoabense is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is endemic to Yemen.-Source:* Miller, A. 2004. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
- Heliotropium sinuatum (Miers) I.M.Johnst.
- Heliotropium socotranum
Heliotropium socotranum is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is endemic to Yemen. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.-References:...
- Heliotropium stenophyllum
Heliotropium stenophyllum is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is endemic to Chile. Its natural habitats are semi-desert coastal areas of Northern Chile, in the 3 and 4 Region.-Source:* Chileflora ....
- Heliotropium strigosum Willd.
- Heliotropium tenuifolium R.Br.
- Heliotropium ventricosum R.Br.
- Heliotropium wagneri
Heliotropium wagneri is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is endemic to Yemen. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.-Source:...
- Heliotropium aff. wagneri
Heliotropium aff. wagneri is an undescribed plant in the family Boraginaceae. It resembles Heliotropium wagneri, but differs in fruits breaking up into four nutlets and flowers that are always yellow, never white....
(SamhahSamhah is an inhabited island of the Socotra archipelago, between the main island of Socotra, and Somalia. Like the whole group, it belongs to Yemen, specifically to Hadhramaut Governorate. Somalia also claims this Island. It measures 40 km² in area, making it the smallest of the three...
, YemenThe Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
)
Formerly included here
- Chrozophora tinctoria
Chrozophora tinctoria is the type species in the genus Chrozophora....
(as H. tricoccum)
- Tournefortia gnaphalodes (L.) R.Br. ex Roem. & Schult. (as H. gnaphalodes L.)
External links