Jepson Herbarium
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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

Annual, perennial herb [ shrub], glabrous to bristly or strigose.
Stem: prostrate to erect, branched.
Leaf: generally cauline, petioled to sessile, generally entire.
Inflorescence: flower 1 in axils or many in terminal coiled spike-like cymes.
Flower: corolla rotate to bell-shaped, white to purple; stamens attached on upper tube, included, anthers ± sessile; style 0 or not lobed, stigma 1, linear to disk-like.
Fruit: nutlets 2 or 4, erect, generally ovoid to spheric, smooth, roughened, or hairy, scar generally lateral.
± 250 species: temperate, tropics. Orn, cultivated for medicinal drugs. (Greek: sun turning, from some species flowering at summer solstice)
Unabridged references: [Ewan 1942 Bull So Calif Acad Sci 41: 51–57]

Perennial, fleshy, occasionally from rhizome-like root.
Stem: prostrate to ± ascending, 1–6 dm, glabrous.
Leaf: 1–6 cm, generally oblanceolate, short-petioled to subsessile, acute to obtuse, glabrous.
Inflorescence: spike-like cymes 2–4.
Flower: calyx lobes oblong to narrow- ovate, glabrous; corolla 3–5 mm, 3–5(7) mm diam, salverform to bell-shaped, white, throat generally blue-purple, upper tube ± yellow.
Fruit: nutlets 4, smooth.
2n=26, 28. Moist to dry, saline to alkaline soils, generally near water; < 2250 m. California (except Klamath Ranges, High North Coast Ranges, c High Sierra Nevada);

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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 occurs	Red 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.
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.