Ovary - style is in glandular ring about 0.5 mm diameter with a 1 mm conical stigma with sparse short hairs. Looks like a caterpillar.įlowers:White with a yellow throat, tubular. Spikes single or in pairs, initially coiled and straightening as seeds ripen. Flowers in 2 rows on the upper side of a coiled spike that is 50-110 mm long when straightened. Short woolly or coarse white hairs.įlower head:Crowded cluster (cyme) at the ends of stems or in leaf axils. Stems:Grey green, erect or bending upwards, usually branched, rough to touch. Abruptly narrowed at the base into the petiole.
Obvious veins indented into the upper leaf surface. Densely hairy with hairs arising from warts. They usually have an unpleasant odour when crushed.īlade - Grey green on top and lighter colour on the underside, egg shaped to oval or oblong, 10-90 mm long by 7.5-30 mm wide, tough. Finely hairy, especially on the under surface. Petiole longer than the blade and hairy.įirst leaves:Oval, 15-50 mm, prominent veins. It usually has an offensive smell when crushed. The white flowers are carried in coiled spikes on softly hairy stems.
Summary:A grey green, hairy, summer growing, annual herb with obvious veins in the loose rosette of leaves. Potato weed because its leaves and growth habit resemble the potato. Other names:Caterpillar weed because flower head looks like furry caterpillars.Įuropean Heliotrope because it comes from Europe. Heliotropium is from the Greek words 'helios' or sun and 'tropaios' meaning to turn back and refers to the flowers following the sun.Įuropaeum refers to its area of origin in Europe.Ĭommon Heliotrope because it is the most common species of Heliotropium in Europe.
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