User:Mah1175/Heliotropium arboreum

1. State your Plan/Objectives for improving the Wiki-article (this can be a few sentences or a list)
2. Minimum of 5 peer-reviewed papers/sources (full citations) with 2 bullet points of explanation/annotation for each:

• • What is the paper about (in a nutshell), 1-3 sentences
  • How do you plan to use this paper in your objectives (as stated above)?
• My plan with this article is to really beef it up. Due to the tree being changed from one to another genus, the page is relatively bare, and the uses tab needs more info. There isnt much of a physical description of the plant, or a discussion on its range. There is also medicinal uses to be discussed. Additionally, this tree is capable of auto reproduction and that is not mentioned at all on the page.

Article Draft

Heliotropium arboreum 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. Additionally, it has been introduced into the Hawai'ian Islands. Common names include velvetleaf soldierbush, tree heliotrope, veloutier, and octopus bush. It is a shrub or small tree typical of littoral zones reaching a height of 3.6 m (12 ft), with a spread of about 5 m (16 ft).

Botanical Description

The Tree Heliotrope is a small to medium sized growing tree that typically reaches heights of 12 feet. The leaves of this tree are light green in color, silvery in sheen, and silky in texture. The tree produces small fruits and flowers during its bloom, (May through November). The flowers are tiny, only reaching .24 inches in diameter, white, and don’t begin to appear until the tree has reached a few years of age. The fruits are described as small, opaque and fleshy. The bark is light gray/brown and is corrugated.

Uses

Wood

The wood of H. arboreum is commonly used to make handicrafts, tools, and, in Polynesia, frames for swim goggles. Due to its availability, H. arboreum is used as firewood, and has become rare in some areas as a result.

Tree Heliotrope Grove in Hawai'i

Leaves

In the Marshall Islands, corpses are washed in water soaked with the leaves of the tree heliotrope to mask smells. The leaves can be used as a spice on some islands, and can also be eaten raw as a salad. In Kiribati, oil from the leaves is used to make deodorant

Coastal Protection

The preferred growing conditions of ''H. Arboreum'' are in the littoral zone. It thrives in sandy barren soil with high drainage. It is capable of withstanding sea spray, and can grow in heavy winds. The tree is also a drought resistant variety, allowing it to survive the subtropical dry season of the South Pacific. These factors, plus the roots of "H. Arboreum" taking hold in the sand, help stabilize the shore, mitigating coastal erosion.