BORAGINACEAE

family of annual plants, composed of approximately 150 genera and about 2,500 species, chiefly of herbs but also including some trees and shrubs, characterized by hairy foliage. Members of the borage family are found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate areas and are most concentrated in the Mediterranean region. The leaves are usually alternate and simple; flowers are funnel-shaped or tubular and flaring, with five lobes, often nodding or in coiled sprays. The flowers are frequently distinguished for their bright blues, which sometimes show a shading of red. Among the members of this family are several ornamental plants grown to a limited extent in gardens, including the Virginia bluebell (Mertensia virginica), forget-me-nots (Myosotis species), heliotropes (Heliotropium species), lungworts (Pulmonaria species), and borage (Borago officinalis). Somewhat lesser known are honeywort (Cerinthe species), hounds' tongue (Cynoglossum species), and viper's bugloss (Echium species). The blue devil, or blue weed (E. vulgare), tends to be a bristly, noxious weed and is difficult to eradicate. The few members known for other economic significance include borage, used as an herbal and bee plant and eaten as a vegetable; comfrey (Symphytum officinale), grown as an herbal plant; dyer's alkanet (Alkanna tinctoria), the roots of which yield a red colouring agent; and gromwell (Lithospermum officinale), the leaves of which can be used to make a tea. In tropical areas some species of Cordia have been grown for timber, and some species produce edible fruits.