Boraginaceae

Cryptantha pterocarya

Wing-Nut Cryptantha

Erect, with some upright branches. Stems with rough hairs pointing upward. Leaves short, narrow, linear to oblong, bristly, mostly basal becoming fewer and smaller upward. Flowers white, in 2 spikes, atop each stem. Lower flowers widely spaced; upper flowers close together, overlapping. Nutlets broadly winged. Grows in sandy, gravelly soils in the basin bottom lands. The common name refers to the wide wings on the seeds.

• Rarity: Uncommon
• Flowering Time: All Spring
• Life Cycle: Annual
• Height: 4--15 inches
• Habitat: Shrub-Steppe, Meadow
• Found In: Steens
• Native: Yes