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heliotrope

Heliotropium

Photo by BonnieLewis
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

These are small plants that reach a height of about 12 to 36 inches. Their leaves are usually broad, crinkled, and dark green in color. The flowers appear in clusters, and they can be deep purple, white, or blue in color. However, purple flowers are more common, and they are also more fragrant than the white and the blue blossoms.

The heliotrope blossoms are one of the most fragrant flowers to be around. Their fragrance is compared to the smell of cherry pie, for which this plant is also known by the name of 'cherry pie plant'. The highly aromatic flowers of the 'turnsole' plant bloom in the midsummer. The flowers appear in clusters to form a single flower head on each stem. –Buzzle.com

Notes:

The plants of the genus Heliotropium are commonly known as heliotropes. The genus Heliotropium contains approximately 250 to 300 species of flowering plants, that belong to the plant family, Boraginaceae.

The name heliotrope is derived from two Greek words, helios, which means sun and tropein, which means 'to turn'. The plant got this name due to the fact that it has the tendency to turn its leaves towards the sun during the entire day. At night, the plant readjusts towards the east so as to be ready for the sunshine. Due to this peculiar inclination, this plant is also known by the name of 'turnsole'. buzzle.com

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Comments (1)

Great shots Bonnie! Thank you for the info and for sharing :)
Photographed
PublishedDecember 5, 2016

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