These plants have alternately arranged leaves, or a combination of alternate and opposite leaves. The leaf blades usually have a narrow shape; many are linear or lance-shaped. They are smooth-edged or toothed, and some have
petioles. Most species have bisexual flowers, but some taxa are
dioecious. Most
pollination is by
hymenopterans, such as
bees. Most species have
inflorescences that have a coiling shape, at least when new, called scorpioid cymes. The flower has a usually five-lobed
calyx. The corolla varies in shape from rotate to bell-shaped to tubular, but it generally has five lobes. It can be green, white, yellow, orange, pink, purple, or blue. There are five
stamens and one
style with one or two stigmas. The fruit is a
drupe, sometimes fleshy. Most members of this family have hairy leaves. The coarse character of the hairs is due to
cystoliths of
silicon dioxide and
calcium carbonate. These hairs can induce an adverse skin reaction, including itching and rash in some individuals, particularly among people who handle the plants regularly, such as gardeners. In some species,
anthocyanins cause the flowers to change color from red to blue with age. This may be a signal to
pollinators that a flower is old and depleted of
pollen and
nectar. Well-known members of the family include: •
alkanet (
Alkanna tinctoria) •
borage (
Borago officinalis) •
comfrey (
Symphytum spp.) •
fiddleneck (
Amsinckia spp.) •
forget-me-not (
Myosotis spp.) •
green alkanet (
Pentaglottis sempervirens) •
hound's tongue (
Cynoglossum spp.) •
lungwort (
Pulmonaria spp.) •
oysterplant (
Mertensia maritima) •
purple viper's bugloss/Salvation Jane (
Echium plantagineum) •
Siberian bugloss (
Brunnera macrophylla) •
viper's bugloss (
Echium vulgare) ==Taxonomy==