(Last Modified On 4/2/2013)
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(Last Modified On 4/2/2013)
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Family
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BORAGINACEAE
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Contributor
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JOAN W. NOWICKE
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Description
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Herbs, shrubs or trees, rarely lianas, frequently scabrous, the hairs simple, uniseriate, or stellate, often with a hardened base, or sometimes glabrous. Leaves alternate or sometimes opposite, simple, generally petiolate, the blade, pinnately- nerved, entire or rarely dentate. Inflorescences cymes, generally helicoid or scorpioid, paniculate and open, spike-like, or glomerate, or rarely the flowers sol- itary, the bracts seemingly absent. Flowers perfect or functionally unisexual, acti- morphic or rarely zygomorphic; bracteoles generally absent; sepals 5, rarely 4, free or connate basally, sometimes irregular; petals 5, united, salverform, funnel- form, or campanulate, the lobes distinct or obscure, the tube sometimes with folds or appendages in the throat; stamens 5, functional or not, epipetalous, alternate with the corolla lobes, the filaments simple or with dorsal appendages, glabrous or fimbriolate basally, the anthers linear, introrse, dehiscing longitudinally; gynoecium syncarpous, 2-carpellate, ovary superior, bilocular and becoming falsely 4-locular, placentation axile, ovules 4, or fewer by abortion, anatropous, style one, gynobasic or terminal, simple, cleft, or twice cleft, stigmas 1, 2, or 4. Fruit 4 nutlets, a 1-4-seeded nut, or a drupe; seeds generally without endosperm. x - 4, 10, 13.
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Habit
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Herbs, shrubs or trees lianas
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Distribution
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A widely-distributed family of about 100 genera and 2000 species. Seven genera are found in Panama.
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Note
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The Boraginaceae are of little economic importance; a few are cultivated as ornamentals, and some species of Cordia, whose. wood varies in color and weight, are utilized as a source of lumber.
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Reference
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ohnston, I. M. Studies in the Boraginaceae, XV. Notes on some Mexican and Central American species of Cordia. Jour. Arnold Arb. 21: 336-355, 1940. Studies in the Boraginaceae, XVII. A. Cordia section Varronia in Mexico and Central America. loc. cit. 30: 85-104, 1949a. Studies in the Boraginaceae, XVIII. Boraginaceae of the south- ern West Indies. loc. cit. 30: 111-138, 1949b. Botany of San Jos' Island. Sargentia 7: 1-306, 1949c.
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Key
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a. Herbs. b. Nutlets with hooked spines; style gynobasic. c. Fruit distinctly 4-lobed, the nutlets attached at the apices; veins tending to form a network in the leaves . ........................1. Cynoglossurm cc. Fruit pyramidal, the nutlets attached medially; veins not forming a net- work in the leaves . ................................ 2. Hackelia bb. Nutlets strigose or glabrous but without hooked spines; style terminal. 3. Heliotropium aa. Shrubs, trees, or sometimes vines. d. Styles and stigmas simple ................ ................. 4. Tournefortia dd. Styles once- or twice-divided, the stigmas 2 or 4. e. Stigmas 2, capitate or peltate. f. Calyx closed in bud; leaves entire ....... ................ 5. Bourreria ff. Calyx open in bud; leaves serrate ........ ................. 6. Ehretia ee. Stigmas 4, slender or clavate . ................................7. Cordia
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