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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

PLAGIOBOTHRYS POPCORNFLOWER
Annual ( perennial herb), generally strigose to spreading-hairy; fibrous- to taprooted, staining red dye present or not.
Stem: branched at base or above, < 5 dm.
Leaf: simple, cauline or basal and cauline, 0.5–10 cm, generally smaller tipward, linear to oblanceolate.
Inflorescence: raceme- or spike-like cymes, coiled in bud, generally elongate in fruit; bracts 0–many.
Flower: calyx lobes fused below middle, 2–10 mm in fruit; corolla rotate to funnel-shaped or cylindric, white or white with yellow area, tube generally ± yellow inside, limb 1–12 mm diam, appendages prominent to minute, white to yellow.
Fruit: nutlets generally 4, ± ovate (triangular to ± lanceolate), rarely on narrow stalk or short peg, variously roughened, abaxially generally with central ridge, lateral ridges, cross- ribs, generally tubercled, occasionally prickly or bristly; adaxially keeled above attachment scar, scar on side generally near middle to base, sometimes on bottom or oblique (on angle between side and bottom), generally raised.
± 65 species: temperate w North America, w South America, ne Asia, Australia. (Greek: sideways pit, from position of nutlet attachment scar) Nutlet characters in key generally best for 3 nutlets farthest from stem; yellow on corolla changes to white after pollination.
Unabridged references: [Horn 2000 Ph.D. Dissertation Univ Munich; Johnston 1932 Contr Arnold Arboretum 3:1–102]
Unabridged note: Fully mature nutlets needed for identification; in many species nutlet closest to stem often more firmly attached, larger, differently textured, and with completely different attachment scar than other 3; nutlet characters used in key focus on 3 more loosely attached nutlets. Intergradation common in some species groups; reticulate speciation in genus; sect. Allocarya often treated as separate genus; many species need study. Corolla size can diminish markedly during flower period. Yellow corolla appendages and, if present, contrasting yellow corolla centers, change to white after successful pollination.

Key to Plagiobothrys

P. cognatus (Greene) I.M. Johnst. COGNATE POPCORNFLOWER
NATIVE
Annual, strigose.
Stem: prostrate to occasionally ascending, 0.5–2+ dm.
Leaf: cauline, lower 2–7 cm.
Inflorescence: bracts below middle to ± throughout.
Flower: calyx 2–4 mm, strigose to spreading-hairy; corolla limb 1–2 mm diam.
Fruit: nutlet 1.2–1.8 mm, ± flat, oblong-ovate, asymmetric, dull or shiny, brown; abaxial ridge low, short, near tip, lateral ridges obscure, cross- ribs few, low, scattered, interspaces wide, tubercled or papillate- dentate and scabrous-bristled; adaxial ridge beyond middle, generally folded to 1 side below; scar oblique, triangular, solid, generally ± flat, not sunken.
Moist places in meadows, sagebrush flats, forests; 1050–2520 m. Klamath Ranges, Inner North Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, n&c Sierra Nevada, Great Basin Floristic Province; to e Washington, Rocky Mountains, Arizona. May–Aug [Online Interchange]
Unabridged note: Collections w of the Sierran-Cascade, if verified, may indicate introductions there. Generally prostrate regardless of environmental factors, including elevation, while Plagiobothrys hispidulus, Plagiobothrys cusickii generally prostrate to decumbent at upper end of their elevation ranges. With Plagiobothrys bracteatus, Plagiobothrys cusickii, Plagiobothrys hispidulus (OR, WA to Rocky Mtns, Can), and others forming a widespread, highly variable polyploid complex of sometimes poorly defined taxa displaying degrees of morphologic, ecologic, and geographic separation in need of further study, although CA material sorts into described species with a minimum of difficulty. At this time inclusion of this suite of variable, ± self-pollinating taxa with the coastal Pacific NW populations of Plagiobothrys scouleri is a matter of convenience without sound systematic basis and needing study. There are Consortium records that, if verified, would voucher elevations from 304 m to 2682 m. The following (and possibly other) accessions, if verified, would represent range extensions (as indicated): SD58418 (s SNH).

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].

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Bioregions in which taxon occursRed area (if present) is the part of the bioregion lying between the upper and lower elevation limits of the taxon;
markers link to CCH specimen records. If the markers are obscured, reload the page [or change window size and reload]. Yellow markers indicate records that may have georeferencing or identification issues.
map of distribution 1

Chart based on elevation range in Manual and elevations and coordinates of CCH records.
Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria.
Note: About half of the CCH records include both elevation and coordinates.
Map made in collaboration with Scott Loarie. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria.
View all CCH records

 

CCH collections by month

Duplicates counted once; synonyms included.
Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa.
Blue line denotes Manual flowering time.