Boraginaceae: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Boraginaceae is commonly known as the Borage family, or Forget-me-not family, after one of its members. It includes a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totalling about 2,000 species in 100 genera found worldwide. A number of familiar plants belong to this family.

The Boraginaceae belong among the asterid group including the orders Gentianales, Lamiales, and Solanales, but whether they should be assigned to one of these orders or to their own is still uncertain. Under the older Cronquist system they were included in the Lamiales, but it is now clear that they are no more similar to the other families in this order than they are to families in several other asterid orders.

Most though not all members of this family have hairy leaves.

Examples of species in the family:

• alkanet Anchusa tinctoria
• bluebells Mertensia spp.
• borage Borago spp.
• comfrey Symphytum
• fiddleneck Amsinckia spp.
• forget-me-not Myosotis spp.
• geiger tree Cordia
• heliotrope Heliotropium
• hound's tongue Cynoglossum
• lungwort Pulmonaria
• Patterson's Curse Echium plantaginuem