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Key to families | Table of families and genera

This text currently parallels The Jepson Manual: Vascular Plants of California, Second Edition that is now available at the University of California Press.

Text appearing in blue on this page will not appear in the printed book; it will be displayed only on the Web. Specimen numbers are hyperlinked to records in the Consortium of California Herbaria data view where possible. Taxa are hyperlinked to entries in the Jepson Interchange via the "[Online Interchange]" link.

 

BORAGINACEAE BORAGE or WATERLEAF FAMILY

Ronald B. Kelley, Robert Patterson, Richard R. Halse & Timothy C. Messick, family description, key to genera; treatment of genera by Ronald B. Kelley, except as noted


Annual to shrub, or non-green root parasite, generally bristly or sharp-hairy.
Stem: prostrate to erect.
Leaf: cauline, often with basal rosette, simple or compound, generally alternate.
Inflorescence: cymes, generally elongate, panicle-, raceme-, or spike-like, generally coiled in flower (often described as scorpioid), generally uncoiled in fruit, or heads, spikes, or panicles, or flowers 1–2 per axil.
Flower: bisexual, generally radial; sepals (4)5(10), fused at least at base, or free; corolla generally (4)5(10)-lobed, salverform, funnel-shaped, rotate, or bell-shaped, appendages 0 or 5 at top of tube, alternate stamens; stamens epipetalous; ovary superior, entire to 4-lobed, style 1(2), entire or 2-lobed or -branched.
Fruit: nutlets 1–4, free ( fused), smooth to roughened, prickly or bristly or not, or valvate or circumscissile capsule.
± 120 genera, ± 2300 species: tropics, temperate, especially w North America, Medit; some cultivated (Borago, Heliotropium, Echium, Myosotis, Nemophila, Phacelia, Symphytum). Many genera may be TOXIC from pyrrolizidine alkaloids or accumulated nitrates. [Olmsted et al. 2000 Molec Phylogen Evol 16:96–112] Recently treated to include Hydrophyllaceae, Lennoaceae. —Scientific Editors: Ronald B. Kelley, Robert Patterson, Bruce G. Baldwin, Thomas J. Rosatti.

Key to Boraginaceae

1. Plants non-green, parasitic ..... PHOLISMA

1' Plants green, non-parasitic

2. Ovary deep-lobed, style base hidden within lobes

3. Nutlets spreading

4. Corolla blue to red-purple; nutlet ± spheric or disk-shaped, prickles barbed; biennial, perennial herb ..... CYNOGLOSSUM

4' Corolla white; nutlet generally compressed, prickles straight or hooked at tip, not barbed; annual

5. Calyx lobes in fruit unequal, upper 2 >> others, partly fused, arched over 1 nutlet, with 5–10 stout spines each with hooked bristles; nutlets 2 ..... HARPAGONELLA

5' Calyx lobes in fruit ± equal or, if unequal, upper 2 > others, free, not arched over 1 nutlet, without spines but with hooked or straight prickles; nutlets generally 4 ..... PECTOCARYA

3' Nutlets ± erect

6. Corolla rotate; anthers 5–8 mm, closely appressed to style, separating in age ..... BORAGO

6' Corolla salverform, funnel-shaped, or ± tubular (except Symphytum); anthers < 5 mm, generally not closely appressed to style

7. Fls 1–2 per leaf axil; calyx lobes with 1–2 teeth in fruit ..... ASPERUGO

7' Fls 1 per upper leaf axil or in panicle-, raceme-, or spike-like cymes; calyx lobes without teeth in fruit

8. Nutlet scar ± flat to strong-convex, with thick rim

9. Corolla appendages ovate to oblong, generally above anthers; corolla throat ± expanded above tube or tube and throat not differentiated ..... ANCHUSA

9' Corolla appendages lance-linear to lanceolate, at same level as anthers; corolla throat expanded above tube ..... SYMPHYTUM

8' Nutlet scar flat, curved, or grooved, without thick rim

10. Receptacle ± flat; nutlet scar generally basal (except Mertensia)

11. Shrub, 1–3+ m ..... ECHIUM (2)

11' Annual, biennial, per

12. Corolla white to yellow

13. Corolla tube > lobes; inflorescence bracts throughout ..... LITHOSPERMUM

13' Corolla tube << lobes; inflorescence bracts at base or to middle ..... [Myosotis verna]

12' Corolla generally blue to purple (white to yellow)

14. Corolla ± bilateral ..... ECHIUM (2)

14' Corolla radial

15. Corolla often ± cylindric or bell-shaped, blue, generally pink in bud ..... MERTENSIA

15' Corolla salverform or wide-funnel-shaped, generally blue, white, or yellow ..... MYOSOTIS

10' Receptacle ± conic or elongate; nutlet scar generally lateral

16. Nutlet margin prickles generally barbed

17. Perennial (biennial); pedicel recurved to reflexed in fruit; receptacle ± 1/2 nutlet ..... HACKELIA

17' Annual; pedicel erect in fruit; receptacle ± = nutlet ..... LAPPULA

16' Nutlet margin prickles 0 or not barbed

18. Corolla tube, limb orange or yellow (red-orange)

19. Annual ..... AMSINCKIA

19' Perennial ..... Cryptantha confertiflora

18' Corolla tube, limb white to cream-yellow

20. Nutlet adaxially grooved above scar, scar raised or generally not ..... CRYPTANTHA

20' Nutlet adaxially keeled above scar; scar generally raised ..... PLAGIOBOTHRYS

2' Ovary entire or shallow-lobed, style base visible

21. Perennial to shrub ..... ERIODICTYON

21' Annual, perennial herb, subshrub

22. Calyx lobes unequal, outer 3 cordate ..... TRICARDIA

22' Calyx lobes equal or not, not cordate

23. Calyx sinus appendages generally present (0 in Pholistoma membranaceum); annual

24. Ovary, fruit hairy, not bristly ..... NEMOPHILA

24' Ovary, fruit hairy, bristly ..... PHOLISTOMA

23' Calyx sinus appendages 0; annual, per, subshrub

25. Plant per; leaves in basal rosette (cauline leaves 0 ), simple, entire, blade tapered to petiole; inflorescence 1-flowered ..... HESPEROCHIRON

25' Plant annual, per; leaves cauline and/or basal, simple or compound, entire or not, blade tapered to petiole or not; inflorescence 1–many-flowered

26. Styles 2

27. Plant 1–3 m ..... Eriodictyon parryi

27' Plant generally < 0.5 m

28. Plant annual ..... NAMA (2)

28' Plant per

29. Lvs entire; inflorescence not spheric, bracts present ..... Eriodictyon lobbii

29' Lvs crenate-dentate; inflorescence spheric, bracts 0 ..... Nama rothrockii

26' Styles 0–1, 2-lobed or not

30. Lvs cauline, opposite ..... DRAPERIA

30' Lvs basal or, if cauline, at least some alternate

31. Ovary ± lobed; fruit nutlets

32. Style 0 or not lobed; stigma 1 ..... HELIOTROPIUM

32' Style deep-2-lobed; stigmas 2 ..... TIQUILIA

31' Ovary not lobed; fruit a capsule

33. Plant per

34. Lvs compound to simple, deep-lobed, sinuses reaching midrib

35. Plant with fleshy-fibrous or tuber-like roots; ovary chambers 1 ..... HYDROPHYLLUM

35' Plant taprooted; ovary chambers appearing 2 ..... PHACELIA (3)

34' Lvs simple, entire, toothed, or lobed, sinuses not reaching midrib

36. Style ± 2-lobed; plant base bulb-like or from tubers; leaf reniform to round ..... ROMANZOFFIA

36' Style 2-lobed, often deeply; plant base not bulb-like, tubers 0; leaf linear to ± round ..... PHACELIA (3)

33' Plant annual

37. Herbage sticky; ovules on both sides of placenta ..... EUCRYPTA

37' Herbage generally not sticky (except Emmenanthe); ovules on 1 side of placenta

38. Stamens generally unequal, attached at different levels ..... NAMA (2)

38' Stamens generally equal, attached ± at same level

39. Fls ± subspreading to pendent; corolla white, yellow, or pink, persistent, in age papery ..... EMMENANTHE

39' Fls spreading to erect; corolla blue to purple, generally deciduous, occasionally persistent and yellow ..... PHACELIA (3)

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