Heliotropium indicum L.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Urema floodplain, road no4 between 2 and 3, Gorongosa National Park.

Photo: Bart Wursten
Road no3 before Junction no4, Gorongosa National Park

Photo: Bart Wursten
Tembwahata pans, Gonarezhou National Park.

Photo: Bart Wursten
Lion House, Gorongosa National Park

Photo: Warren McCleland
Rio Muacamula, Macomia District, Cabo Delgado.

Photo: Kathy Sheppard
Mombo Road, Namiwawa, Blantyre

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:	Heliophytum indicum (L.) DC. Tiaridium indicum (L.) Lehm.
Common names:
Frequency:	Locally abundant
Status:	Possibly introduced
Description:	Erect annual or short-lived perennial herb, up to 150 cm. Leaves alternate to sub-opposite triangular-ovate, up to 17 cm long, upper surface wrinkled and with scattered bristles, somewhat more hairy below; base decurrent down the long petiole. Flowers in curled elongating inflorescences, eventually up to 36 cm long, white, rarely mauve or blue. Fruits deeply bilobed with diverging beaked lobes, c. 4 × 4 × 2.5 mm, almost hairless.
Type location:
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	indicum: of India
Habitat:	In sandy or muddy soils on riverbanks, swamp edges, floodplains and grassland.
Altitude range: (metres)	Up to 1100 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Origins uncertain but now pantropical and also in the southern United States of America.
National distribution:	N,C,E,S
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:	Utetheisa pulchella (Food plant)
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Sunday 15 February 2015
Literature:	Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 30. Martins, E.S. (1990). Boraginaceae Flora Zambesiaca 7(4) Pages 91 - 92. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 36. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 41.

Other sources of information about Heliotropium indicum:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Heliotropium indicum
Flora of Burundi: Heliotropium indicum
Flora of Caprivi: Heliotropium indicum
Flora of Malawi: Heliotropium indicum
Flora of Mozambique: Heliotropium indicum
Flora of Zambia: Heliotropium indicum

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Heliotropium indicum
African Plant Database: Heliotropium indicum
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Heliotropium indicum
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Heliotropium indicum
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Heliotropium indicum
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Heliotropium indicum
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Heliotropium indicum
JSTOR Plant Science: Heliotropium indicum
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Heliotropium indicum
Plants of the World Online: Heliotropium indicum
Tropicos: Heliotropium indicum
Wikipedia: Heliotropium indicum