More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
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Borage of Zihuatanejo
ORDER BORAGINALES
Alkali Heliotrope
Heliotropium curassavicum
Flowers by Colour
-Vascular Plants (Phylum Tracheophyta)
-Flowering Plants (Subphylum Angiospermae)
-Borages Order (Boraginales)
-Borage Family (Family Boraginaceae)
-Subfamily Heliotropioideae
-Heliotropes (Genus Heliotropium)
-Alkali Heliotrope (Heliotropium curassavicum)
It has green to blue-grey slightly fleshy leaves, and uncurling spirals of small white star-shaped flowers that emerge with lime to yellow centers that mature to purple. It has green to blue-grey slightly fleshy leaves, and uncurling spirals of small white star-shaped flowers that emerge with lime to yellow centers that mature to purple.
Description
• Heliotropium curassavicum, commonly known as salt heliotrope or seaside heliotrope, is a fleshy, low-growing perennial herb in the borage family (Boraginaceae). It has smooth, often blue-green stems and thick, narrow to spoon-shaped leaves with entire margins. Numerous small white flowers, often with yellowish or greenish centres, grow along curled flower stalks resembling a scorpion’s tail. The plant spreads along the ground or grows somewhat upright, and its small fruits separate into four seed-bearing sections.
Range
• Heliotropium curassavicum is native to the Americas, with a range extending from Canada through Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean to South America. It is native to Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.
Habitat
• It commonly grows in coastal environments, including sandy beaches, salt marshes, saline flats and the margins of lagoons. It also occurs on disturbed ground and in other open habitats with salty or alkaline soils. Its fleshy leaves and stems help it tolerate saline conditions, heat and periods of limited moisture.
