heliotrope

/hee"lee euh trohp', heel"yeuh-/ or, esp. Brit., /hel"yeuh-/, n.

1. any hairy plant belonging to the genus Heliotropium, of the borage family, as H. arborescens, cultivated for its small, fragrant purple flowers.

2. any of various other plants, as the valerian or the winter heliotrope.

3. any plant that turns toward the sun.

4. a light tint of purple; reddish lavender.

5. Survey. an arrangement of mirrors for reflecting sunlight from a distant point to an observation station.

6. bloodstone.

[1580-90; < MF héliotrope < L heliotropium < Gk heliotrópion (see HELIO-, -TROPE); cf. ME elitropium, elitropius, OE eliotropus < ML]

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Any of about 250 species of tropical or temperate, mostly herbaceous, plants that make up the genus Heliotropium, in the borage family, found throughout the world.

Included are many weedy species. The best known is garden heliotrope (H. arborescens), a shrubby perennial that bears fragrant, purple to white, flat-clustered, five-lobed flowers in coiled sprays, similar to forget-me-nots.

Garden heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens)

Walter Dawn

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▪ plant

 any of about 250 species of tropical or temperate, mostly herbaceous plants that make up the genus Heliotropium (family Boraginaceae) and are distributed throughout the world. The genus has many weedy species. The best known is garden heliotrope (H. arborescens), a shrubby perennial up to 2 m (over 6 feet) tall but usually less. It has fragrant, purple to white, flat-clustered, five-lobed flowers in coiled sprays, similar to forget-me-nots.

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