An erect annual 30-40 cm tall, branched or unbranched from the base, appressed hairy; branches ascending. Lower leaves. mm long. Lamina 25-50 x 3-5 mm, linear, sparse hairy on both surfaces. Hairs less than 1 mm long, usually with a bulbous base; lower surface lighter green. Inflorescence 2.5-4 cm long, terminal and axillary, up to 12 cm in fruit, simple or branched, bearing uniseriate, sessile to subsessile flowers. Bracts 2-3 mm long linear, hairy. Calyx 1.5-2.5 mm long, 5-partite into. lanceolate lobes, appressed hairy on the outer surface. Corolla white, t 3.5 mm long, hairy to the, throat sparsely so, tube somewhat constricted at the throat; lobes obtuse, nervose, margin somewhat undulate. Anthers 0.8 mm long, subsessile, ovate, tip produced, attached c. 0.7 mm above the corolla tube. Stigma conical, 0.5 mm long, glabrous, ± equalling. Style length. Stigmatic ring prominent. Fruit globose, compressed, 4-lobed, upper 2/3rd pilose. Nutlets c. 1.4 mm long, brown, faintly rugulose at the back.

Lower Taxon

• Heliotropium zeylanicum subsp. paniculatum (R. Br.) Kazmi

Related Synonym(s):

• Heliotropium paniculatum R. Br. = Heliotropium zeylanicum subsp. paniculatum (R. Br.) Kazmi