''Trachystemon'' is a monotypic genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s belonging to the family

Boraginaceae Boraginaceae, the Borago, borage or forget-me-not family, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees, and herbs in 146 to 154 genus, genera with a worldwide distribution. The APG IV system from 2016 classifies the Boraginaceae as single famil ...

. The only species is ''Trachystemon orientalis'', commonly known as Abraham-Isaac-Jacob or early-flowering borage. Its native range is Bulgaria to Turkey. It is a

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

of the family

. It is frequently grown as an ornamental for its early blue-violet flowers and large leaves. It quickly spreads to provide a dense

groundcover Groundcover or ground cover is any plant that grows low over an area of ground, which protects the topsoil from erosion and drought. In a terrestrial ecosystem, the ground cover forms the layer of vegetation below the shrub layer known as the ...

. "Trachystemon" is derived from the Greek "trachys", meaning rough, and "stemon", a stamen. The specific epithet, "orientalis" means eastern or from the orient, and is a reference to the native distribution of this species. ''Trachystemon orientalis'' is endemic to southeastern Europe and western Asia. In Turkey it is known as ''Kalidirk dolmasi'' and leaves are traditionally eaten as a spinach-like vegetable.

References

External links

* Boraginoideae Boraginaceae genera Monotypic Boraginales genera {{Boraginoideae-stub