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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE BORAGE FAMILY | |||||||||
| The borage family is represented around the world, especially in temperate and subtropical regions. There are about 117 genera and 2,400 species in this family. The borages are herbaceous plants. The name Borago comes from the Latin word “burra”, which means hairy garment and refers to the hairy leaves. The inflorescences are coiled or one-sided. The flowers are small and can often be hard to see. The fruit type is a nutlet or a drupe. Members of the borage family contain chemical compounds that are used for medicines, wines, and some cosmetics. Some borages are used as ornamentals and pot herbs; others are important as honey plants. | |||||||||
| BUTTECANDLE | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Cryptantha celosioides | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Buttecandle is 10 – 40 cm tall. One to several, simple or branched stems grow from the woody taproot. The leaves are both in basal tufts and on the stems. The lower and basal leaves are tapered to a stalk and are spoon-shaped. The leaves toward the top of the plant are elliptic and alternately arranged on the stem. All of the leaves are greenish gray and bristly-hairy with small blisters at the bases of the hairs. The inflorescence is several flowers in a leafy spike that branches out as it matures. The sepals are densely bristly-hairy. Buttecandle’s petals are 7 – 11 mm long and are white with a yellow spot in the middle. The fruits are nutlets and occur in fours. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Buttecandle grows in dry, sandy grasslands. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species grows in southern Saskatchewan in the Mixed Grassland ecoregion. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Buttecandle is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is extremely rare. Possible threats have been identified for this species. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY BUTTECANDLE | |||||||||
| * Are there tufts of basal leaves? * Are the leaves and stem bristly-hairy? * Are the leaves greyish green? * Did you find it in southern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found buttecandle! | |||||||||
