Heliotropium foertherianum

Heliotropium foertherianum Diane & Hilger, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 125:46. 2003 (Syn: (≡) Argusia argentea (L. f.) Heine; (≡) Tournefortia argentea L. f.);

Heliotropium foertherianum is a species of flowering plant in the borage family, Boraginaceae.

It is native to tropical Asia, including southern China, Madagascar, northern Australia, and most of the atolls and high islands of Micronesia and Polynesia.

Common names include Tree Heliotrope, Velvet Soldierbush and Octopus Bush.

It is a shrub or small tree typical of littoral zones reaching a height of 6 m (20 ft), with a similar spread.

The wood of H. foertherianum is commonly used to make handicrafts, tools, and, in Polynesia, frames for swim goggles. Due to its availability, H. foertherianum is used as firewood, and has become rare in some areas as a result.^[4]Octopus bush is used in many Pacific islands as a traditional medicine to treat ciguatera fish poisoning, which is caused by powerful ciguatoxins produced by microscopic Gambierdiscus algae.

(From Wikipedia on 9.5.14)

Images by Raman Arunachalam (Id by Prashant Awale) (Inserted by J.M.Garg) (For more photos & complete details, click on the links)