Fragrant Heliotrope

Heliotropium suaveolens, Fragrant Heliotrope,
Hebrew: עוקץ-עקרב ריחני, Arabic: رقيب الشمس الحلو

Scientific name:   Heliotropium suaveolens M.Bieb.
Synonym name:   Heliotropium humile Schult.
Common name:   Fragrant Heliotrope
Hebrew name:   עוקץ-עקרב ריחני
Arabic name:   رقيب الشمس الحلو
Plant Family:   Boraginaceae, זיפניים


Life form:   Annual
Stems:   25-35 high; erect or ascending; pubescent
Leaves:   Alternate, entire
Inflorescence:   Double scorpioid cymes
Flowers:   Calyx, four- or five-lobed; white salver-shaped corolla, with five regular lobes; stigma conical, entire or shallowly 2-to 4-lobed
Fruits / pods:   Dry drupes, splitting into 4 nutlets
Flowering Period:   May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Habitat:   Disturbed habitats
Distribution:   Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Deserts and extreme deserts
Chorotype:   Med – Irano-Turanian
Summer shedding:   Ephemeral


Derivation of the botanical name:

Heliotropium, Greek helios, sun; trope, turning; meaning sun-turning, referring to the turning of flowers toward the sun.

suaveolens, sweet-scented.
humile, low, low-growing, humble.
The Hebrew name: עוקץ-עקרב, oketz -akrav, scorpion-sting; inflorescence with small flowers somewhat resembling a scorpion sting.

  • The standard author abbreviation M.Bieb. is used to indicate Friedrich August Marschall von Bieberstein (1768 – 1826), a German naturalist, and explorer.
  • The standard author abbreviation Schult is used to indicate Josef August Schultes (1773 – 1831), an Austrian botanist.