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Tasmanian flora contains 5 native and about 15 introduced
species of the worldwide family, Boraginaceae. All of these
are herbs, and they occur in a wide range of habitats. The
species have entire, alternate leaves and flowers with five
sepals and a 5-lobed, fused corolla. In most species the
flowers are radially symmetrical, but in Echium and
Anchusa species the corolla is asymmetrical.
One distinctive feature of most of the species in this
family is the one-sided cymose inflorescence - this is an
elongate, spike-like structure that has flowers only on
one side. It unrolls like a fern frond.
The 4-chambered fruit, when ripe, splits into mericarps
(or nutlets), each containing a single seed.
The family includes some common weeds (such as Echium
plantagineum, Pattersons Curse). Borago
officinalis (Borage) is unusual within the
Boraginaceae in that the flowers resemble Solanum
(with a wide spreading fused corolla and exserted stamens
forming a cone around the style).
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University of Tasmania
