Borago officinalis
Borago officinalis
Hodan
Hispid annual. Stems 35-60 cm, erect, hollow, robust. Leaves ovate to lanceolate, obtuse, 5-9 x 3-4·5 cm, basal with 4-6 cm petiole, cauline sessile, amplexicaul. Inflorescence branched. Pedicels 0·5-2·5 em. Calyx lobes 8-12 mm, spreading at anthesis, accrescent in fruit to c. 20 mm. Corolla light blue, 20-25 mm diam.; anthers exserted c. 3 mm. Nutlets 5-7 x 2·5-3·5 mm, obliquely ovoid-oblong, surface rugose and tuberculate. Fl. 2-5. Oak woods, hills, nr s.l.
Mediterranean area. Medit. element? Widely cultivated in N. & C. Europe and frequently naturalized. Probably not native in our area, but certainly so in N.W. Africa. Cultivated in Turkey as a medicinal herb for its diuretic effect; in Turkish 'hodan'.
