Taxon: Heliotropium europaeum L.

Summary

Genus:

Heliotropium

Family:

Heliotropiaceae

Nomen number:

18823

Place of publication:

Sp. pl. 1:130. 1753

Typification:

View in Linnean Typification Project

Verified:

05/20/1992 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

1 (1 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Autonym(s)
Heliotropium europaeum L. var. europaeum

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976-. Flora of Libya.
Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
Bennett, M. 2003. Pulmonarias and the Borage family 117.
Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning Note: poisonous
Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
Craven, L. A. 1996. A taxonomic revision of Heliotropium (Boraginaceae) in Australia. Austral. Syst. Bot. 9:550-552.
Cufodontis, G. 1953-1972. Enumeratio plantarum aethiopiae: Spermatophyta.
Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
Der Marderosian, A. & L. Liberti. 1988. Natural product medicine: a scientific guide to foods, drugs, cosmetics Note: poisonous
Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 1457.
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
Everest, S. L. 1981. Poisonous plants of Australia. Note: poisonous
Gleason, H. A. & A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, ed. 2
Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds
Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
Lems, K. 1960. Floristic botany of the Canary islands.
Pammel, L. H. 1911. Manual of poisonous plants. Note: poisonous
Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
Pignatti, S. 1982. Flora d'Italia.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Willis, J. H. 1970-1972. A handbook to plants in Victoria.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	barooga-weed	1	Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
English	caterpillar-weed	1	Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
English	common heliotrope	1	Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
English	European heliotrope	1	Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
English	European turnsole	1	Bennett, M. 2003. Pulmonarias and the Borage family 117.
English	heliotrope	1	Bennett, M. 2003. Pulmonarias and the Borage family 117.
English	hemp-agrimony	1	Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
English	Wandarrie-curse	1	Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
English	wild heliotrope	1	Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
French	héliotrope d'Europe	2	Bennett, M. 2003. Pulmonarias and the Borage family 117.
German	europäische Sonnenwende	2	Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 1457.
German	Sonnenwende	2	Bennett, M. 2003. Pulmonarias and the Borage family 117.
Portuguese (Brazil)	heliotrópio-europeu	2	Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Spanish	verrucaria	2	Bennett, M. 2003. Pulmonarias and the Borage family 117.
Swedish	ogräsheliotrop	2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	Macaronesia	Portugal	Azores		Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	Macaronesia	Portugal	Madeira Islands		Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	Macaronesia	Spain	Canarias		Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Algeria		n.	Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Egypt		n.	Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Libya		n.	Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Morocco			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Tunisia			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Armenia			Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Azerbaijan			Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Georgia			Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Russian Federation	Dagestan		Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia	Ciscaucasia		Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Cyprus			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Egypt	Sinai		Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Israel			Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Jordan			Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Turkey			Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	New South Wales		Craven, L. A. 1996. A taxonomic revision of Heliotropium (Boraginaceae) in Australia. Austral. Syst. Bot. 9:550-552.
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	South Australia		Craven, L. A. 1996. A taxonomic revision of Heliotropium (Boraginaceae) in Australia. Austral. Syst. Bot. 9:550-552.
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Victoria		Craven, L. A. 1996. A taxonomic revision of Heliotropium (Boraginaceae) in Australia. Austral. Syst. Bot. 9:550-552.
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Western Australia		Craven, L. A. 1996. A taxonomic revision of Heliotropium (Boraginaceae) in Australia. Austral. Syst. Bot. 9:550-552.
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Moldova			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation-European part	European part	s.	Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Ukraine	Krym		Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Austria			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Czech Republic			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Germany			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Hungary			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Slovakia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Switzerland			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Albania			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Bulgaria			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Croatia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Greece		incl. Crete	Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Italy		incl. Sardinia, Sicily	Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Romania			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Serbia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Slovenia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	France		incl. Corsica	Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Portugal			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Spain		incl. Baleares	Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Gansu Sheng	w.	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
4	Naturalized	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Illinois		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Indiana		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Massachusetts		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Jersey		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New York		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Ohio		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Pennsylvania		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	West Virginia		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	Texas		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Alabama		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Arkansas		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Delaware		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Florida		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Georgia		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Kentucky		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Louisiana		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Maryland		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Mississippi		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	North Carolina		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	South Carolina		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Tennessee		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Virginia		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	California		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
6	Other					native status in Australia uncertain	Craven, L. A. 1996. A taxonomic revision of Heliotropium (Boraginaceae) in Australia. Austral. Syst. Bot. 9:550-552.

Native
Africa

MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias], Portugal [Azores, Madeira Islands]
NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria (n.), Egypt (n.), Libya (n.), Morocco, Tunisia

Asia-Temperate

WESTERN ASIA: Cyprus, Egypt [Sinai], Israel, Jordan, Turkey
CAUCASUS: Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia [Ciscaucasia], Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation [Dagestan]

Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia [New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia]

Europe

MIDDLE EUROPE: Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
EASTERN EUROPE: Russian Federation-European part [European part (s.)], Moldova, Ukraine [Krym]
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece (incl. Crete), Croatia, Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), Romania, Serbia, Slovenia
SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain (incl. Baleares), France (incl. Corsica), Portugal

Naturalized
Asia-Temperate

CHINA: China [Gansu Sheng (w.), Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu]

Northern America

NORTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Indiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia]
NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Illinois]
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Texas]
SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [California]

Other (native status in Australia uncertain)

Reference(s)

Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
Craven, L. A. 1996. A taxonomic revision of Heliotropium (Boraginaceae) in Australia. Austral. Syst. Bot. 9:550-552.
Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Medicines	folklore		Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Vertebrate poisons	mammals		Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisons	mammals		Pammel, L. H. 1911. Manual of poisonous plants. Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisons	mammals		Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisons	mammals		Everest, S. L. 1981. Poisonous plants of Australia. Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisons	mammals		Der Marderosian, A. & L. Liberti. 1988. Natural product medicine: a scientific guide to foods, drugs, cosmetics Note: poisonous
Weed	seed contaminant	potential	Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=18823. Accessed 12 May 2026.