19-513: Boraginaceae , the borage or forget-me-not family , includes about 2,000 species of shrubs , trees , and herbs in 146 to 154 genera with a worldwide distribution. The APG IV system from 2016 classifies the Boraginaceae as single family of the order Boraginales within the asterids . Under the older Cronquist system , it was included in the Lamiales, but clearly is no more similar to
38-430: A combination of alternate and opposite leaves. The leaf blades usually have a narrow shape; many are linear or lance-shaped. They are smooth-edged or toothed, and some have petioles . Most species have bisexual flowers, but some taxa are dioecious . Most pollination is by hymenopterans , such as bees . Most species have inflorescences that have a coiling shape, at least when new, called scorpioid cymes. The flower has
57-403: A curve, as in the tail of the scorpion. The flowers are star-shaped wheel or bell-shaped; nectar is dispersed through a cone-shaped structure. They are pollinated by bees. The corolla is blue, pink, or white. Corollas are rotate with five petals. The corolla tube is short or nonexistent. Throat scales are short, hairless, and emarginated, i.e. with a nick or notch at the apex, standing out from
76-472: A higher persistence of soil seed banks . These differences in life history strategies profoundly affect ecosystem functioning and services. For instance, annuals, by allocating less resources belowground, play a more minor role in reducing erosion, storing organic carbon, and achieving lower nutrient- and water-use efficiencies than perennials. The distinctions between annual and perennial plants are notably evident in agricultural contexts. Despite constituting
95-676: A minor part of global biomass, annual species stand out as the primary food source for humankind, likely owing to their greater allocation of resources to seed production, thereby enhancing agricultural productivity. In the Anthropocene epoch, marked by human impact on the environment, there has been a substantial increase in the global cover of annuals. This shift is primarily attributed to the conversion of natural systems, often dominated by perennials, into annual cropland. Currently, annual plants cover approximately 70% of croplands and contribute to around 80% of worldwide food consumption. In 2008, it
114-601: A unique scenario unfolds: when annuals establish dominance, perennials do not necessarily supplant them. This peculiarity is attributed to alternative stable states in the system—both annual dominance and perennial states prove stable, with the ultimate system state dependent on the initial conditions. Annual plants commonly exhibit a higher growth rate, allocate more resources to seeds, and allocate fewer resources to roots than perennials. In contrast to perennials, which feature long-lived plants and short-lived seeds, annual plants compensate for their lower longevity by maintaining
133-586: A usually five-lobed calyx . The corolla varies in shape from rotate to bell-shaped to tubular, but it generally has five lobes. It can be green, white, yellow, orange, pink, purple, or blue. There are five stamens and one style with one or two stigmas. The fruit is a drupe , sometimes fleshy. Most members of this family have hairy leaves. The coarse character of the hairs is due to cystoliths of silicon dioxide and calcium carbonate . These hairs can induce an adverse skin reaction, including itching and rash in some individuals, particularly among people who handle
152-545: Is a genus of five species of herbs native to the Mediterranean, with one species, Borago officinalis , cultivated and naturalized throughout the world. Borago officinalis is used medicinally , in companion planting , in cooking, and as an oilseed . Cooked stalks are sometimes eaten as a vegetable. The large, hairy leaves taste mildly of cucumber , and star-shaped purple-blue flowers are prized for their flavour. The leaves are often added to teas and salads, and
171-538: Is characterized by erect herbaceous, wheel-shaped flowers, blue, sometimes white: Subgenus Buglossites is prostrate and has bright, bell-shaped flowers: Annual plant An annual plant is a plant that completes its life cycle , from germination to the production of seeds , within one growing season , and then dies. Globally, 6% of all plant species and 15% of herbaceous plants (excluding trees and shrubs) are annuals. The annual life cycle has independently emerged in over 120 different plant families throughout
190-444: Is higher than seedling (or seed) mortality, i.e., annuals will dominate environments with disturbances or high temporal variability, reducing adult survival. This hypothesis finds support in observations of increased prevalence of annuals in regions with hot-dry summers, with elevated adult mortality and high seed persistence. Furthermore, the evolution of the annual life cycle under hot-dry summer in different families makes it one of
209-504: The Tuscan Archipelago. Only B. officinalis is widely cultivated, and has become naturalized through much of the temperate world (e.g. Argentina, Canada, Chile, United States, Mexico, and Paraguay). B. officinalis was once thought to be native to Syria, but it is probably of North African origin, where other Borago species occur. It is often grown as ornamental. The genus comprises five species in two subgenera: Subgenus Borago
SECTION 10
#1732855452308228-483: The best examples of convergent evolution . Additionally, annual prevalence is also positively affected by year-to-year variability. Globally, the prevalence of annual plants shows an upward trend with an increasing human footprint. Moreover, domestic grazing has been identified as contributing to the heightened abundance of annuals in grasslands. Disturbances linked to activities like grazing and agriculture, particularly following European settlement, have facilitated
247-406: The crown. The stamens are inserted near the base of the corolla. The anthers are mucronate, with long, pointed appendages, and are upright. The stamens protrude through the throat scales to nearly the bottom of the crown. The stamens are at the top of a long, narrow appendage. The appendix is a long, narrow apex. Styles are whole filiform to the base ovarium. The style does not extend beyond
266-493: The entire angiosperm phylogeny. Traditionally, there has been a prevailing assumption that annuals have evolved from perennial ancestors. However, recent research challenges this notion, revealing instances where perennials have evolved from annual ancestors. Intriguingly, models propose that transition rates from an annual to a perennial life cycle are twice as fast as the reverse transition. The life-history theory posits that annual plants are favored when adult mortality
285-403: The flowers have been added to wine (Borage has had a reputation to give one courage since Roman times). The flowers are highly attractive to bees . The hairs covering the plant are said to repel herbivores. Borages are annual or perennial herbaceous plants with alternate leaves and long-stalked flowers. The inflorescences are branched scorpioid cymes, i.e. subsequent flowers are oriented in
304-457: The invasion of annual species from Europe and Asia into the New World. In various ecosystems, the dominance of annual plants is often a temporary phase during secondary succession , particularly in the aftermath of disturbances. For instance, after fields are abandoned, annuals may initially colonize them but are eventually replaced by long-lived species. However, in certain Mediterranean systems,
323-485: The other families in this order than it is to families in several other asterid orders. A revision of the Boraginales, also from 2016, split the Boraginaceae into 11 distinct families: Boraginaceae sensu stricto , Codonaceae, Coldeniaceae , Cordiaceae , Ehretiaceae , Heliotropiaceae , Hoplestigmataceae , Hydrophyllaceae , Lennoaceae , Namaceae , and Wellstediaceae. These plants have alternately arranged leaves, or
342-524: The plants regularly, such as gardeners. In some species, anthocyanins cause the flowers to change color from red to blue with age. This may be a signal to pollinators that a flower is old and depleted of pollen and nectar . Well-known members of the family include: According to Kew ; Borago Borago longifolia Poir. Borago morisiana Bigazzi & Ricceri Borago officinalis L. Borago pygmaea Chater & Greuter Borago trabutii Maire Borago , or borage ,
361-448: The scales of the throat and a capitate stigma. The fruits are small obovate achenes with a thick, ring-shaped collar at the base. Seeds are dispersed by ants . The species of this genus are found in cultivated and rocky areas through the southwestern Mediterranean . The genus is monophyletic and very close genetically to the sister genus Symphytum . Four of the five species are found only in northwest Africa, Corsica, Sardinia, and
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