Boraginaceae
Borage family
The borage family of herbs, shrubs, and trees, characterised by rough, stiff or hairy stems and leaves and small flowers often arranged in scorpioid cymes that uncoil as they bloom. Includes forget-me-nots, heliotropes, and the Indian timber tree Cordia.
Browse all 33 species ↓
Rough, hairy, alternate leaves and coiled flower spikes that uncurl as they bloom, with 5 united petals maturing into 4 nutlets.
The bristly hairs can irritate skin, and many species carry mild alkaloids — better suited to external use than internal.
Which Boraginaceae species is this?
Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Boraginaceae species.
How to recognise the Boraginaceae family
- 01
Rough hispid hairs on stems and leaves
- 02
Flowers in coiled scorpioid cymes
- 03
4 nutlets or drupe fruit
To check whether a plant belongs to Boraginaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.
Learn the full family-identification methodTypical leaf characters
Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.
Typical flower & fruit
- Flower symmetryActinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- InflorescenceCyme
- FruitNutlets
Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.
Notable members
Families that can look similar
Euphorbiaceae
Compare against Euphorbiaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare EuphorbiaceaeAsteraceae
Compare against Asteraceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare AsteraceaeLamiaceae
Compare against Lamiaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare LamiaceaeSolanaceae
Compare against Solanaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare SolanaceaeAll 33 species in BORAGINACEAE
- Common Hill BorageAdelocaryum coelestinum
- ScorpionbushCarmona retusa
- Creeping ColdeniaColdenia procumbens
- NettletreeCordia alba
- Indian CherryCordia dichotoma
- Grey-Leaved SaucerberryCordia gharaf
- Yellow GeigerCordia lutea
- DahmanCordia macleodii
- Sandpaper SaucerberryCordia monoica
- Assyrian PlumCordia myxa
- Orange Geiger Tree, Geiger Tree, Scarlet CordiaCordia sebestena
- Ceylon Hound's Tongue, Ceylon Forget Me NotCynoglossum zeylanicum
- ChamrorEhretia canarensis
- Fukien TeaEhretia microphylla
- Alkali HeliotropeHeliotropium curassavicum
- Indian Heliotrope, Indian TurnsoleHeliotropium indicum
- Greyleaf HeliotropeHeliotropium ovalifolium
- Indian Forget-Me-Not, Red JasmineHeliotropium strigosum
- Dwarf HeliotropeHeliotropium supinum
- Aquatic RotulaRotula aquatica
- BarbbellsTrichodesma amplexicaule
- Clasping-Leaf BorageTrichodesma inaequale
- Indian BorageTrichodesma indicum
- Camel BushTrichodesma zeylanicum
- Cordia diffusa
- Ehretia anacua
- Ehretia laevis
- Ehretia pubescens
- Heliotropium scabrum
- Paracaryopsis lambertiana
- Paracaryum malabaricum
- Tournefortia reticosa
- Trichodesma sedgwickianum
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