Boraginaceae

Defining Characteristics

• Plants often covered in stiff, coarse hairs (hispid or strigose indumentum)
• Inflorescences are scorpioid cymes (coiled or helicoid, unrolling as flowers open)
• Flowers 5-merous, actinomorphic, with fused petals forming a tube often with fornices (scale-like appendages) in the throat
• Fruit typically splitting into 4 nutlets
• Alternate, simple leaves

Notable Genera

• Borago (borage)
• Myosotis (forget-me-not)
• Symphytum (comfrey)
• Heliotropium (heliotrope)
• Echium (viper's bugloss)
• Lithospermum (puccoon)

Notes

Borage seed oil is rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Comfrey has traditional wound-healing uses but contains toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Many species are valued bee forage plants. Forget-me-nots are widely cultivated ornamentals.