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Cryptantha crassisepala (Torr. & Gray) Greene  

No occurrences found

Family: Boraginaceae
thicksepal cryptantha
[Krynitzkia crassisepala (Torr. & A. Gray) A. Gray]
Cryptantha crassisepala image
Max Licher
  • Field Guide
  • Resources
Martin and Hutchins 1980, Kearney and Peebles 1969, McDougall 1973
Duration: Annual Nativity: Native Lifeform: Forb/Herb General: Small annual herbs, 5-15 cm tall, from a thin taproot; stems several to many, erect to spreading from base; herbage hirsute to hispid. Leaves: Basally clustered and alternate on the stems, sessile; blades oblanceolate, 2-3 cm long, obtuse or rounded at the tip, bristly with pustulate hairs. Flowers: White, in dense scorpioid spikes that elongate with maturity; spikes bractless or with a few bracts at base; calyx 6-7 mm long in fruit, generally asymmetrical, the lobes linear-lanceolate, midrib prominently thickened; corolla white, funnelform, 2 mm long, the limb 2.5 mm wide with rounded lobes. Fruits: Nutlets usually 4, heteromorphic with one nutlet larger than the others; odd nutlet 2 mm long, finely granulate-muricate; the other nutlets 1-2 mm long, coarsely tuberculate; style about the same length as the odd nutlet. Ecology: Found in dry soils, slopes, plains, often in grasslands, from 4,000-6,500 ft (1219-1981 m); flowers May-July. Distribution: UT, AZ, CO, NM, KA, TX, w OK; south to the northern border of MEX. Notes: Cryptantha is a genus of bristly herbs with white or yellow flowers in spikes that are usually 1-sided and curling like a scorpion-s tail (-scorpioid-). Cryptanthas are notoriously difficult to ID without mature fruit (called -nutlets- in this group). At first glance, this species stands out as a shorter, more stumpy Cryptantha, with thicker leaves. Confirm with the nutlets: 4 nutlets per calyx, with one larger than the other 3 (2 mm versus 1.5 mm), all with tubercles and rounded edges; the style is about the same length as the 3 shorter nutlets. The sepals also develop a thick, hardened central ridge as they mature. Ours is var. elechanta and differs from the other variety by its much smaller corolla, with a limb less than 3 mm wide. As nutlets tiny and difficult to examine in the field with a hand lens, it is usually necessary to make a collection of mature material for identification under a dissecting scope. Ethnobotany: Used externally for boils, for itching, and for fatigue when applied as a hot infusion; considered a poisonous weed. Etymology: Cryptantha comes from the Greek krypto, "hidden," and anthos, "flower," a reference to the first described species in the genus which has inconspicuous flowers that self-fertilize without opening; crassisepala comes from Latin crassus for thick, referring to the thick sepals. Synonyms: Cryptantha dicarpa, Eritrichium crassisepalum, Krynitzkia crassisepala Editor: SBuckley 2010, FSCoburn 2015, AHazelton 2015
Cryptantha crassisepala
Open Interactive Map
Cryptantha crassisepala image
Liz Makings
Cryptantha crassisepala image
Max Licher
Cryptantha crassisepala image
Robert Sivinski
Cryptantha crassisepala image
Max Licher
Cryptantha crassisepala image
Max Licher
Cryptantha crassisepala image
Patrick Alexander
Cryptantha crassisepala image
Patrick Alexander
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