Tropicals > Heliotropium > Heliotropium calcareum > Heliotropium calcareum
Heliotropium calcareum
Indian Heliotrope; Khashafah (Arabic)
Origin: Native to Asia.
| Family |
| Boraginaceae |
| Genus |
| Heliotropium |
| Species |
| calcareum |
| Category |
| Tropicals |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Requires cool season preotection under glass. |
| Height |
| 15 - 50 cm |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| A perennial with a woody base and few branches up to 50 cm in height. |
| Landscape |
| Groundcover, hedges and mass planting. |
| Cultivation |
| Full sun and partial-shade in well-drained and moist soil. |
| Shape |
| Erect and bushy. |
| Growth |
| Slow |
| Habitat |
| Sand, gravel plains, low mountains and terraces. |
| Leaf Description |
| The stem has little hairs. The leaves are alternating ovate to oblong-ovate, 1 cm wide and 1 - 2 cm long with prominent veins and undulate margins. |
| Flower Description |
| The flowers are small, 5 stamens borne on a corolla tube and is 4 lobed. |
| Colour Description |
| The leaves are greyish-green while the flowers are white with a green calyx. |
| Texture Description |
| The stem appears hairy. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| In the Philippines this plant is chiefly used as a traditional medicine. Extracted juice from the leaves are used on wounds, skin ulcers and furuncles. The juice is also used for conjunctivitis as an eye drop. The leaves are also used as a poultice. |
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