Basellaceae, Bignoniaceae & Boraginaceae

DICOTYLEDONS

BASELLACEAE

A small family (11 species) of tropical climbers with one naturalised in Western Australia. Anredera cordifolia (Madeira vine) is a garden escape found on Garden Island and along creeklines on the Swan Coastal Plain. It is a creeper with entire, somewhat fleshy leaves and drooping spikes of tiny, fragrant white flowers. Reproduces by warty tubers on the branches. Native to South America.

Anredera cordifolia , GK

BIGNONIACEAE

A worldwide family of some 800 species, mostly tropical trees, shrubs and lianes. In Western Australia there are five species, one of which is naturalised.Tecoma stans (yellow tecoma) is a large, spreading shrub with pinnate leaves and yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers. A common garden plant, it has escaped into creeks on Koolan Island.

Tecoma stans , PH

BORAGINACEAE - Borage Family

A family of around 2400 species, mostly annual or perennial herbs. Found in tropical and temperate regions. The leaves are usually bristly and the flowers and buds are carried on a 'fiddle head' that unrolls as the flowering stem lengthens. Western Australia has around 50 native species in 18 genera and up to 11 naturalised species. Amsinckia calycina DP and A. lycopsoides (yellow burr weed) DP are winter-growing annuals native to the Americas. They are occasionally found as weeds of cereals in parts of the eastern wheatbelt, but rarely encountered because of eradication efforts. Recognised by their small, bright yellow flowers produced in late winter and spring on an erect shoot arising from a rosette of narrow leaves. Stiff hairs cover the entire plant.

Amsinckia sp., JDellow

Echium plantagineum (Paterson's curse, salvation Jane) DP is a large, coarse, bristly annual that is easily identified by its numerous purple flowers, carried on a branched shoot system, mainly in late winter and spring. Vegetative plants possess rosettes of broad, deep-veined hairy leaves. Plants with white, reddish or pale blue-mauve flowers are occasionally encountered. This well-known weed originated from southern Europe, but is now widespread in agricultural land, roadsides and reserves throughout the south-west, also with dense populations around Northampton and in the Avon and Swan Valley regions. It is spreading into the mulga belt where it is displacing everlasting daisies and other native annuals.

Echium plantagineum , PH

Heliotropium curassavicum (smooth heliotrope) is readily distinguished by its smooth, fleshy, grey-green leaves. It is a perennial that is scattered widely throughout the state, occurring in saline and ephemeral wetlands from Perth to the Kimberley, and in seepage areas in agricultural regions. Material from this plant turns black on drying. It produces small white flowers from late spring to autumn. There is some doubt as to whether it is native or introduced to Australia.

Heliotropium curassavicum , PH

H. europaeum (common heliotrope) DP is a summer-growing annual from southern and central Europe, western Asia and north Africa (though it has recently been suggested that it is also native to Australia). It flowers in summer and autumn and is locally abundant in paddocks, firebreaks, roadsides and other disturbed sites in parts of the south-west and the eastern Goldfields. It germinates rapidly after summer rain, soon flowering and setting seed. The small white flowers have a yellow throat. The flowering shoot is covered with short white hairs and arises from the loose rosette of small, broad, distinctly-veined leaves.The plants give off an unpleasant odour when crushed. It is poisonous to stock due to its alkaloid content. Other introduced species are H. indicum (blue heliotrope) in the Kimberleys and H. supinum that is an occasional agricultural weed in the south-west.

H. europaeum , RK

Myosotis sylvatica (forget-me-not) is a well known garden annual grown for its attractive pale blue flowers produced in spring. It has escaped cultivation and is now a serious weed of creeklines in the Porongorup National Park. Many other species from this family have been planted in gardens and some have escaped onto roadsides and into disturbed land in parts of the south west. Anchusacapensis (cape forget-me-not) is an erect, summer-flowering biennial with blue flowers, from South Africa It has been recorded occasionally at coastal sites. A. arvensis has been collected once near the Fraser Range. Borago officinalis (borage) has large, bright blue, star-shaped nodding flowers in spring and early summer. It is native to the Mediterranean and is often grown in herb gardens, escaping onto wasteland in southern regions, between Donnybrook and Lake Grace; recently found on a granite rock near Mukinbudin. Buglossoides arvensis (corn gromwell) is a widespread, inconspicuous, white-flowered annual that originated in Europe; it flowers in spring and is found throughout the south-west from Walkaway to Forrest.

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A family of around 2400 species, mostly annual or perennial herbs. Found in tropical and temperate regions. The leaves are usually bristly and the flowers and buds are carried on a 'fiddle head' that unrolls as the flowering stem lengthens. Western Australia has around 50 native species in 18 genera and up to 11 naturalised species. *Amsinckia calycina* DP and A. lycopsoides (yellow burr weed) DP are winter-growing annuals native to the Americas. They are occasionally found as weeds of cereals in parts of the eastern wheatbelt, but rarely encountered because of eradication efforts. Recognised by their small, bright yellow flowers produced in late winter and spring on an erect shoot arising from a rosette of narrow leaves. Stiff hairs cover the entire plant.	*Amsinckia* sp., JDellow
*Echium plantagineum* (Paterson's curse, salvation Jane) DP is a large, coarse, bristly annual that is easily identified by its numerous purple flowers, carried on a branched shoot system, mainly in late winter and spring. Vegetative plants possess rosettes of broad, deep-veined hairy leaves. Plants with white, reddish or pale blue-mauve flowers are occasionally encountered. This well-known weed originated from southern Europe, but is now widespread in agricultural land, roadsides and reserves throughout the south-west, also with dense populations around Northampton and in the Avon and Swan Valley regions. It is spreading into the mulga belt where it is displacing everlasting daisies and other native annuals.	*Echium plantagineum* , PH
*Heliotropium curassavicum* (smooth heliotrope) is readily distinguished by its smooth, fleshy, grey-green leaves. It is a perennial that is scattered widely throughout the state, occurring in saline and ephemeral wetlands from Perth to the Kimberley, and in seepage areas in agricultural regions. Material from this plant turns black on drying. It produces small white flowers from late spring to autumn. There is some doubt as to whether it is native or introduced to Australia.	*Heliotropium curassavicum* , PH
*H. europaeum* (common heliotrope) DP is a summer-growing annual from southern and central Europe, western Asia and north Africa (though it has recently been suggested that it is also native to Australia). It flowers in summer and autumn and is locally abundant in paddocks, firebreaks, roadsides and other disturbed sites in parts of the south-west and the eastern Goldfields. It germinates rapidly after summer rain, soon flowering and setting seed. The small white flowers have a yellow throat. The flowering shoot is covered with short white hairs and arises from the loose rosette of small, broad, distinctly-veined leaves.The plants give off an unpleasant odour when crushed. It is poisonous to stock due to its alkaloid content. Other introduced species are *H. indicum* (blue heliotrope) in the Kimberleys and H. *supinum* that is an occasional agricultural weed in the south-west.	*H. europaeum* , RK
*Myosotis sylvatica* (forget-me-not) is a well known garden annual grown for its attractive pale blue flowers produced in spring. It has escaped cultivation and is now a serious weed of creeklines in the Porongorup National Park. Many other species from this family have been planted in gardens and some have escaped onto roadsides and into disturbed land in parts of the south west. *Anchusacapensis* (cape forget-me-not) is an erect, summer-flowering biennial with blue flowers, from South Africa It has been recorded occasionally at coastal sites. *A. arvensis* has been collected once near the Fraser Range. *Borago officinalis* (borage) has large, bright blue, star-shaped nodding flowers in spring and early summer. It is native to the Mediterranean and is often grown in herb gardens, escaping onto wasteland in southern regions, between Donnybrook and Lake Grace; recently found on a granite rock near Mukinbudin. *Buglossoides arvensis* (corn gromwell) is a widespread, inconspicuous, white-flowered annual that originated in Europe; it flowers in spring and is found throughout the south-west from Walkaway to Forrest.