Heliotropium scabrum (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Heliotropium scabrum Retz.

Protologue: Observ. bot. 2: 8 (1781).

Synonyms

• Heliotropium marifolium Retz. (1781),
• Heliotropium cyrtostachyum Miq. (1856).

Distribution

Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, southern China and Malesia (Java and Flores).

Uses

The alkaloids found in H. scabrum indicate that it can be used for the same purposes as some of the other Heliotropium species.

Observations

• A perennial, prostrate, sometimes erect herb, stems 5-30 cm long, branched from the base, covered in antrorsely appressed, white, bristly hairs.
• Leaves linear to lanceolate-oblong, 0.5-2 cm × 0.1-0.5 cm, base cuneate or rounded, apex acute, margin revolute, with antrorsely appressed bristly hairs, petiole 0-3 mm long.
• Inflorescence a subcapitate cyme at the end of stems and branches with leaf-like bracts or flowers single in axils of leaves.
• Calyx covered in bristly hairs, accrescent, corolla funnel-shaped, 3-3.5 mm long, with wavy margins, white.
• Fruit separating into 4 nutlets.

H. scabrum occurs in dunes, but also in dry roadsides and lawns, and shady places, in general near the sea. However, in Sri Lanka it is reported to occur in foothills up to 1500 m altitude.

Selected sources

• [97] Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr, R.C., 1963-1968. Flora of Java. 3 volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands. Vol. 1 (1963) 647 pp., Vol. 2 (1965) 641 pp., Vol. 3 (1968) 761 pp.
• [921] Matthew, K.M., 1981-1988. The flora of the Tamilnadu Carnatic. 4 volumes. The Rapinat Herbarium, St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirapalli, India.
• [1229] Riedl, H., 1997. Boraginaceae. In: Kalkman, C., Kirkup, D.W., Nooteboom, H.P., Stevens, P.F. & de Wilde, W.J.J.O. (Editors): Flora Malesiana. Series 1. Vol. 13. Rijksherbarium/Hortus Botanicus, Leiden, the Netherlands. pp. 43-144.
• [1369] Singh, V., Mathur, K., Sethia, M. & Nag, T.N., 1988. Desert medicinal plants a source of steroids. Oikoassay 5(2): 41-42.

Main genus page

• Heliotropium (Medicinal plants)

Authors

• Wongsatit Chuakul, Noppamas Soonthornchareonnon & Promjit Saralamp