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
Indian Heliotrope
Heliotropium indicum
Flowers by Colour
-Vascular Plants (Phylum Tracheophyta)
-Flowering Plants (Subphylum Angiospermae)
-Borages Order (Boraginales)
-Borage Family (Family Boraginaceae)
-Subfamily Heliotropioideae
-Heliotropes (Genus Heliotropium)
-Indian Heliotrope (Heliotropium indicum)
Heliotropium indicum, commonly known as Indian heliotrope or "Hatisur" (elephant's trunk), is an annual, coarse herb that typically grows between 20 and 100 centimetres tall. It is easily recognized by its "scorpion-tail" or helicoid cyme—a long, coiled flower spike where tiny white to pale lavender blossoms sit in a single row, gradually unrolling as they mature. The plant is heavily covered in rough, white hairs (hirsute) and features broad, ovate leaves with a distinctive wrinkled or bullate surface. While widely naturalized in tropical regions worldwide, it thrives particularly in damp, disturbed soils such as waste places, ditches, and riverbanks. Though valued in traditional medicine for treating skin inflammation and wounds.
Description
• Heliotropium indicum, commonly known as Indian heliotrope or Indian turnsole, is an upright, branching annual herb in the borage family (Boraginaceae). It has hairy stems and broad, rough-textured, oval to triangular leaves with pointed tips and wavy or toothed margins. Its small white, pale violet, or bluish flowers grow in distinctive curled flower spikes resembling a scorpion’s tail. The flowers develop into small, dry fruits. The plant contains toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids and should not be consumed by people or livestock.
Range
• Heliotropium indicum is native to tropical America, with its original range extending through parts of South America and the Caribbean. It has spread widely throughout tropical regions of the world. It is native to Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.
Habitat
• It commonly grows in warm, sunny locations, including roadsides, gardens, vacant lots, agricultural areas, and other disturbed sites. It is often found in moist, sandy soil, along riverbanks, and in seasonally dry tropical environments. It grows readily in open ground and can become a common weed in disturbed areas.
