The borage family is distributed throughout the world and ranges in habitat from desert to tropical forest.  The leaves and stems are generally hairy.  The flowers appear in one-sided clusters that uncoil as the flowers open.  Each has 5 united sepals, 5 stamens, which alternate with the petal lobe, and 5 fused petals that create a bell-shaped flower.  The ovary is divided into 2 parts that may be lobed making them appear like 4 parts.  Stems are round, branched and hairy.  Leaves are alternate, undivided, unbranched and hairy.