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.
Stem: 2–40 cm, strigose, breaking at nodes or not.
Leaf: generally alternate, generally 0.5–4 cm, ± linear, strigose to sharp-bristled.
Inflorescence: bracted or not; pedicel in fruit generally free from nutlets, generally recurved.
Flower: basal cleistogamous flowers generally 0; calyx generally < fruit, lobes free, not arched over 1 nutlet, with hooked or straight prickles, in fruit ± equal or, if unequal, upper 2 > others; corolla funnel-shaped, white, limb 0.5–2.5 mm diam, appendages white or yellow; style attached to receptacle, unbranched, generally persistent, stigma 1, head-like.
Fruit: nutlets generally 4, generally paired, often dissimilar in shape, ornamentation, margin width, spreading, 1–4.5 mm, generally compressed, marginal prickles straight or hooked at tip.
15 species: to BC, WY, TX, nw Mex; South America. (Greek: comb nut, from bristly to dentate nutlet margins of some species) Nutlets of basal, cleistogamous flowers (present in Pectocarya heterocarpa, Pectocarya peninsularis) unusual, not to be used in key.
Unabridged references: [Veno 1979 Ph.D. Dissertation Univ of California, Los Angeles]
Unabridged note: Fls generally of 1 kind with observable white corolla occurring on the cauline inflorescence sections, except for Pectocarya heterocarpa, Pectocarya peninsularis, which also produce cleistogamous flowers, without an observable corolla, that occur at stem bases and produce nutlet shapes not represented in the diagnostic key.

Stem: ascending to erect, 2–24 cm.
Inflorescence: pedicel in fruit 1–1.5 mm, free from nutlets.
Flower: basal cleistogamous flowers present; lower 3 calyx lobes in fruit ± equal.
Fruit: nutlets 1.1–2 mm, ovate- elliptic; cauline paired, generally straight, all spreading in 1 plane, margins narrow- to wide- membranous, ± dentate.
2n=24. Washes, roadsides, clearings; 30–300 m. w Sonoran Desert;

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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 provide evidence for eFlora range revision or 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.