The greatest diversity occurs in arid and semiarid regions of western North America. Over half of the species in the family occur in California. Herbs, shrubs and small trees. Leaves alternate or opposite, simple to deeply lobed or pinnate, estipulate. Inflorescence cymose, usually scorpioid, or flowers solitary.
Flowers perfect, regular.
Fruit a capsule. The waterleaf family is important primarily for the beauty of its flowers. There are numerous showy wildflowers in the family. The borage family has a cosmopolitan distribution and comprises 110-131 genera and 2400 species. Members of the family occur in habitats ranging from extremely arid deserts to temperate woodlands and tropical forests.