Heliotrope

Heliotrope, Heliotropium, a genus of small plants belonging to a tribe closely related to the Boragineee. They are hairy; have scattered leaves, small lilac, blue or white flowers in scorpioid spikes, with the polysymmetric pentamerous calyx, corolla and stamens and two deeply-divided carpels characteristic of the borage family. They are natives of the tropical and sub-tropical regions of both hemispheres, some occurring in Europe, and 23 species in Australia, whilst the favourite "cherry-pie" of our gardens is H.peruviannm.