Boraginaceae (forget-me-not and borage family)

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Eudicotyledons > unassigned to order

Genera native or naturalised (*) in southern Africa

List from Retief (2000).

Afrotysonia Three species, all African, 2 of which are native to southern Africa.
* Amsinckia About 15 species, native mainly to Central America. Amsinckia calycina and Amsinckia menziesii have become naturalised in southern Africa.
Anchusa About 35 species, native to Europe, North Africa and west Asia. In southern Africa there is one native species, Anchusa capensis, and one introduced, Anchusa azurea.
* Buglossoides The 15 species are native to Europe and Asia. Buglossoides arvensis is a naturalised species in southern Africa.
Cordia About 250-300 species, native to tropical regions, with 6 species found in southern Africa.
Cynoglossum About 75 species, native to temperate and subtropical regions, with 8 species occurring in southern Africa.
Echiostachys The 3 species are endemic to the Western Cape.
* Echium About 60 species, mainly on Madeira, the Azores and Canary Islands but also native to Africa and Asia. Echium plantagineum (Patterson’s curse, Pers echium) and Echium vulgare (Blue echium, Blou-echium) are naturalised in southern Africa and are declared Category 1 invader plants in South Africa.
Ehretia About 75 species, native to the tropics, with 3 species in southern Africa.
Heliotropium About 250 species, native to tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions, with about 20 species in southern Africa.
Lappula About 50 species, native mainly to temperate Europe and Asia, North America and Australia, but with one species, Lappula capensis, indigenous to southern Africa.
Lithospermum About 45 species, native mainly to temperate regions, with 9 species found in southern Africa.
Lobostemon About 30 species, endemic to Northern, Western and Eastern Cape.
Myosotis (Forget-me-not genus). About 100 species, worldwide but mainly in temperate regions of the Old World, with 7 species native to southern Africa.
* Rochelia About 20 species, native to Eurasia. Rochelia disperma naturalised in the Western Cape.
Trichodesma About 45 species, native to tropical and subtropical regions from Africa to Asia and Australia., with 4 species native to southern Africa.
Wellstedia Three of the 4 species are native to Somalia, Socotra and Ethiopia. The other species, Wellstedia dinteri, is indigenous to southern Africa.

Other genera, cultivated in southern Africa

List from Glen (2002). The species name is provided in genera that have only one species represented in southern Africa.

Argusia argentea
Indigenous from tropical Africa through to the Pacific.

Borago officinalis (Borage)
Believed to be indigenous to the Middle East but ocurs naturally in southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. Grown as a garden herb. The leaves and flowers are used more for decorating drinks (e.g. gin) and food (e.g. salads) than for consumption. Flowers are sometimes crystalised and used to decorate puddings and cakes. Oil is extracted from the seeds and used as a dietary supplement (termed "starflower oil") because it contains very high levels (21%) of unsaturated gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which is an essential fatty acid.

Heliotropium
Two species cultivated, including Heliotropium arborescens (Heliotrope, Cherry pie).

Omphalodes linifolia
Indigenous from Portugal to France.

Moltkia petraea
Indigenous from Serbia to Greece.

Mysotidium hortensia (Chatham Island forget-me-not)
Indigenous to Brazil.

Symphytum officinale (Comfrey)

Publications

Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated Plants of Southern Africa. Jacana, Johannesburg.

Retief, E. 2000. Boraginaceae. Seed Plants of Southern Africa (ed. O.A. Leistner). Strelitzia 10: 178-183. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.