About Heliotropium europaeum L.
Heliotropium europaeum L. is an annual herb that grows from a taproot and reaches a maximum height of about 40 centimeters (16 inches). Both its stems and oval-shaped leaves are covered in soft hairs. Its inflorescences are coiled spikes that hold fragrant white flowers, which have fuzzy or bristly sepals. Each individual flower is only a few millimeters wide. It produces a bumpy nutlet as its fruit. This species is native to Eurasia and North Africa, but it has become widely naturalized in other regions, including Australia and North America. In some areas, it grows as a roadside weed. Heliotropium europaeum contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids and is poisonous.
