Heliotropium amplexicaule Vahl

Heliotropium amplexicaule is a prostrate plant, with erect ends, woody strain, whose shaggy branched stems can reach 1 m in length. The leaves are simple alternate or sometimes opposite at the top of the stems. The blade is closely oval or elliptical, obtuse at the apex, lengthily attenuated into wedged base, sometimes dense pubescence on both sides and has a corrugated margin. The flowers, disposed in terminal inflorescences that are curved in scorpion's tail, are small, tubulate, pale purple or lavender with yellow throat. The fruits are globular, with tuberculate surface.
 
Cotyledons

Cotyledons are spatulate, shortly stalked, 5 mm long and 3 mm wide, fleshy in appearance.
 
First leaves

The first leaves are simple, sub-opposite or appearing opposite during elongation, but one is larger than the other since it is slightly older. Leaf sub-sessile with elliptical to narrowly oval blade , rounded apex and base attenuate in corner or rounded. The margin is corrugated, the two faces have a dense pubescence. The arcuate venation is very visible and appears in depression on the upper surface.
 
General habit

Perennial plant with lignified stem, with spreading growth habit then erect at the ends of the branched stems, whose length can reach 1 m.
 
Underground system

Taproot system, up to 1m in depth.

Stem

The stem is cylindrical, full, quickly branched, abundantly hairy, with two types of hairs, some are long bristles, others which are shorter, are multicellular and glandular at the top.
 
Leaf

The leaves are simple, alternate or sometimes sub-opposite. The leaves at the base of the stems are short-stalked, those at the ends are sessile to amplexicaule. The blade is narrowly oval or elliptical, obtuse at the top, lengthily attenuated and cuneiform at the base, 5 to 17 cm long and 2 to 6 cm wide. Both faces have a sometimes dense pubescence, especially on the veins of the lower face. The margin is wavy. Venation, more or less printed on the upper face, protruding on the lower surface, is arcuate. The terminal leaves are smaller and narrower, almost linear, than the leaves at the base.
 
Inflorescence

The terminal inflorescence is formed from 3 to 4 scorpioid, unilateral, dense, without bracts, multiflorous cymes, of variable length, reaching up to 15 cm in length.
 
Flower

The light purple or lavender flowers with yellow throat,  are sessile. Sepals narrowly triangular, obtuse, slightly fused at the base, 2 to 3 mm long, hirsute on back, glabrous on the inside. Corolla has a sub-cylindrical tube, slightly narrowed toward the top, 4 to 5 mm long, densely hairy inside except at the base, with sparsely to hirsute pubescence outside. The tube is surmounted by five spreading lobes, rounded, 0.5 to 1 mm long. The globular ovary contains at the base 4 fleshy bulges, it is topped with a chunky style, 0.5 mm long and a ring shaped stigma bearing a hemispherical appendage.
 
Fruit
 
The fruit is globular, narrowed at the top, 3 to 4 mm long, glabrous and smooth, separating into 2 parts at maturity, each further separating into 2 nutlets with tuberculate back.