Common name: borage, talewort
Borago officinalis L. APNI* Description: Annual herb 30–80 cm high, erect, much-branched; hairs rather dense, spreading.
Leaves ovate, 4–20 cm long, 2–7 cm wide, margins undulate, lamina coarsely hairy; basal leaves shortly petiolate, becoming sessile towards apex.
Flowers on long pedicels, in dense clusters at the apex of the branches, deep blue. Calyx 8–15 mm long, lobes narrow-elliptic to linear, shortly united to almost free. Corolla stellate, 20–30 mm diam., tube 3–4 mm long, lobes elliptic, 10–12 mm long, throat scales conspicuous, white. Anthers dark, 6–7 mm long tipped with a short, apiculate appendage. Mericarps c. 6 mm long, wrinkled, brown to black.
Flowering: spring.
Distribution and occurrence: cultivated, sparingly naturalised. Native of S Europe.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *ST, *SWP
Other Australian states: *Vic. *W.A. *S.A.
Text by Peter G. Wilson
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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