''Omphalodes'' (navelwort) is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Boraginaceae, widely distributed in the

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

Northern Hemisphere. In spring they produce blue or white flowers similar to

forget-me-nots ''Myosotis'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots ...

. Both the Greek ''Omphalodes'' (navel-like) and the English "navelwort" refer to the shape of the seeds. '' O. verna'' and cultivars of '' O. cappadocica'' are grown in gardens for their blue flowers which in spring appear above the leaves in loose sprays. They are woodland plants, preferring some shade.

Systematics

The genus ''Omphalodes'' traditionally contained many species that have been split-off in 2014 and 2016 The Japanese "''Omphalodes''" and "''Omphalodes scorpioides''" turned out not to be closely related to ''Omphalodes'', and were separated as distinct genera, ''

Nihon Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

'' and ''

Memoremea ''Memoremea'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Boraginaceae Boraginaceae, the borage or forget-me-not family, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees and herbs in 146, to 156 genera with a worldwide distribution. ...

'' respectively. Serrano et al. separated the Iberian annual species as ''

Iberodes Iberodes is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae native to southwest Europe. The whiteflower navelwort is part of this genus. Most specimens are from the Iberian Peninsula. The genus was previously thought to be part of ''Ompha ...

''. This left the remainder of species from Western Eurasia as sister to New World species, including the

Chatham Islands The Chatham Islands ( ) (Moriori: ''Rēkohu'', 'Misty Sun'; mi, Wharekauri) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island. They are administered as part of New Zealand. The archipelago consists of about te ...

(off the coast of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

) endemic species ''

Myosotidium hortensia ''Myosotidium'' is a genus of plants belonging to the family Boraginaceae. This genus is represented by the single species ''Myosotidium hortensia'', the Chatham Islands lily, giant forget-me-not or Chatham Islands forget-me-not, which is endemi ...

''. The clade of the New World species also included the

Juan Fernández Islands The Juan Fernández Islands ( es, Archipiélago Juan Fernández) are a sparsely inhabited series of islands in the South Pacific Ocean reliant on tourism and fishing. Situated off the coast of Chile, they are composed of three main volcanic i ...

(off the coast of Chile) endemic ''

Selkirkia berteroi ''Selkirkia'' is a genus of predatory, tubicolous priapulid worms known from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale, Ogygopsis Shale and Puncoviscana Formation. 142 specimens of ''Selkirkia'' are known from the Greater Phyllopod bed, where they compr ...

'' and three species formerly placed in ''

Cynoglossum ''Cynoglossum'' is a genus of small-flowered plants in the family Boraginaceae (borage family). ''Cynoglossum officinale'', the common hound's-tongue, is a native of Asia, Africa, and Europe. It has been introduced into North America, and it is ...

'', which were then transferred to a more broadly circumscribed genus ''

Selkirkia ''Selkirkia'' is a genus of predatory, tubicolous priapulid worms known from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale, Ogygopsis Shale and Puncoviscana Formation. 142 specimens of ''Selkirkia'' are known from the Greater Phyllopod bed, where they compr ...

''. The majority of the North American "''Omphalodes''" species were then split-off as ''

Mimophytum ''Mimophytum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The species occur in Northeastern Mexico and adjacent areas of Texas, United States. They are similar to the closely related genus ''Omphalodes'' but a distinct group. Mo ...

''. ''Omphalodes'' in its strict sense comprises Western Eurasian perennial species with a creeping

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

Gallery

File:Omphalodes cappadocica 1.jpg, ''

Omphalodes cappadocica ''Omphalodes cappadocica'', the Cappadocian navelwort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, native to woodland habitats in Turkey. It is an evergreen perennial growing to tall by wide, with slightly hairy, oval pointed le ...

'' File:Omphalodes_verna_(4).jpg, ''

Omphalodes verna ''Omphalodes verna'', the creeping navelwort or blue-eyed-Mary, is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant in the genus ''Omphalodes'' belonging to the family Boraginaceae. Etymology The genus name ''Omphalodes'' derives from the Greek word , ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q158879 Boraginaceae genera Taxa named by Philip Miller