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Project Noah Nature School
Heliotropium angiospermum
Low growing plant with very small inflorescence of white flowers with yellow centers that unfurl like a fern leaf. This plant is native of the US and Mexico and is found down through Brazil in tropical climates. It is known as "Rabo de Alacrán" (meaning Scorpion's Tail in spanish) and is also called the Butterfly Heliotrope for the number of butterflies that are attracted to the flowers. It has many many names in the numerous indigenous languages of Mexico (see reference). For example; "ta ulu'um ma'ax" in Maya. Family Boraginaceae.
Growing low on the ground among many plants between the highway and the Laguna Silvituc.
http://www.conabio.gob.mx/malezasdemexic... and http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showima....
Scorpion's tail is an apt name...we call ours Hathi Shur or Elephant's trunk. That's pretty descriptive of the way the frond curls :)
Thank you Sukanya and Rahul, it is so much fun to find out what is known about something that seemed so new and unusual to me. Now it feels like an old friend! Thank you for your comment venusflytrap :)
But Heliotropium...I usually falter at species level !!!! Thanks Rahul, for the correction.
The Indian species lacks the prominent yellow colouration and glossy leaves. The genus is very diverse. Maybe H. angiospermum. :)
https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/25...
You can see a butterfly perched on the Indian Heliotrope in this spotting.
Spotted on Feb 18, 2015
Submitted on Mar 11, 2015
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