Heliotropium europaeum L.
A softly-hairy, branched annual with erect or ascending stems up to 60 cm long. Leaves green to grey-green, stalked, ovate to elliptical, entire, 2 to 6 cm long. Flowers white, borne on the upper side of coiled, forked, bractless spikes, which uncoil and elongate up to 18 cm in fruit. Corolla 3 to 4 mm across; with 5 spreading lobes. Calyx very hairy, divided almost to the base into narrow lobes up to 3 mm long. Fruit splitting into 4 nutlets.
Local:Common in Gibraltar. Found mainly on North Front, the East Side and Europa Flats, but also found elsewhere, especially on waste ground.
Global: Found in south-east Europe, the Mediterranean region and the Canary Islands.
Flowers from (May) June, July, August, September, October to November.
Grows on cultivated and waste ground, and waysides.