[The Borage Family East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

The Genus Cryptantha East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington

Weak-stem Cryptantha Cryptantha flaccida

Weakstem Cryptanth: Cryptantha flaccida

Common Cryptantha, Quill Cat's-eye, Quill Cryptantha, Slender Cryptanth: Cryptantha affinis (Synonym: Krynitzkia affinis) -

Basin Cat's Eye, Basin Cryptantha, Obscure Cryptantha, Wilke's Cryptantha: Cryptantha ambigua - Annual. Slender plants lacking a tuft of basal leaves. Inflorescence open and scorpioid. Corollas small, the limbs 0.5-2.5 mm wide. Calyx hairs more or less straight. Nutlets rough-surfaced, not winged. Herbage of plants with at least some spreading hairs.

Buttecandle, Cockscomb Cryptantha, Northern Cryptanth, Northern Oreocarya: Cryptantha celosioides (Synonyms: Cryptantha bradburiana, Cryptantha macounii, Cryptantha nubigena var. macounii, Cryptantha sheldonii, Oreocarya celosioides, Oreocarya glomerata, Oreocarya macounii, Oreocarya sheldonii) - Perennial. Plants generally with a tuft of broad, oblanceolate or spatulate basal leaves from 2-8 cm long and 4-15 mm wide. Inflorescence a dense spike of showy flowers, the corolla limbs generally 8-12 mm wide.

Cushion Cryptantha, Matted Cryptantha, Opening Cryptanth: Cryptantha circumscissa (Synonyms: Cryptantha circumscissa var. circumscissa, Cryptantha circumscissa var. hispida, Greeneocharis circumscissa, Greenocharis circumscissa var. circumcissa) -

Prickly Cryptanth: Cryptantha echinella -

Dune Cryptanth, Fendler's Cryptantha: Cryptantha fendleri -

Flaccid Cryptantha, Weak-stem Cryptantha, Weakstem Cat's Eye, Weak-stem Cryptantha, Weak-stemmed Cryptantha: Cryptantha flaccida (Synonyms: Cryptantha rostellata, Cryptantha rostellata var. spithamea) - Annual. Slender plants lacking a tuft of basal leaves. Inflorescence open and scorpioid. Corollas small, the limbs 0.5-2.5 mm wide. Calyx with arched or hooked hairs. Nutlets single, smooth, pointed or very narrowly flattened at the base.

Narrowstem Catseye: Cryptantha gracilis -

Clearwater Cryptantha, Large-flowered Cryptantha: Cryptantha grandiflora (Synonym: Cryptantha intermedia var. grandiflora) - Annual. Slender plants lacking a tuft of basal leaves. Inflorescence open and scorpioid. Corolla fairly large, the limb 4-8 mm wide. Nutlets one or two. Nutlet surfaces smooth.

Dwarf Cryptanth, Low Cryptantha: Cryptantha humilis (Synonym: Oreocarya humilis) -

Common Cryptanth, Common Cryptantha, Palouse Cryptantha: Cryptantha intermedia var. hendersonii (Synonym: Cryptantha hendersonii) - Annual. Slender plants lacking a tuft of basal leaves. Inflorescence open and scorpioid. Corolla fairly large, the limb 4-8 mm wide. Nutlets one or two but with roughened, variably papillate and sparsely low tuberculate surfaces.

Clearwater Cat's Eye, Clearwater Cryptantha, Common Cryptanth, Common Cryptantha, Large-flowered Cryptantha: Cryptantha intermedia var. intermedia (Synonym: Cryptantha fragilis) - Annual. Slender plants lacking a tuft of basal leaves. Inflorescence open and scorpioid. Corolla fairly large, the limb 4-8 mm wide. Nutlets 3-4 with consistently papillate and densely low tuberculate surfaces.

Bristly Cryptantha: Cryptantha interrupta -

Gray Cat's Eye, Gray Cryptantha: Cryptantha leucophaea (Synonym: Oreocarya leucophaea) - This rare species may be extirpated in the Columbia River Gorge. There are several collections from the eastern Gorge from the 1880s, but the pools behind several of the dams may have covered these sites. This is a species that should be looked for at all remaining sites with sand dunes.

Redroot Cryptantha, Small-flowered Cryptantha: Cryptantha micrantha -

Idaho Cryptantha, Malheur Cryptanth: Cryptantha propria (Synonym: Oreocarya propria) -

Winged Cryptantha, Wingnut Cryptantha, Wing-nut Cryptantha: Cryptantha pterocarya (Synonym: Cryptantha pterocarya) - Annual. Slender plants lacking a tuft of basal leaves. Inflorescence open and scorpioid. Corollas small, the limbs 0.5-2.5 mm wide. Calyx hairs more or less straight. Nutlets roughened with noticeable, borad winged margins.

Beaked Cryptanth, Red-stemmed Cryptantha: Cryptantha rostellata (Synonyms: Cryptantha flaccida, Cryptantha rostellata var. spithamea) - Annual. Slender plants lacking a tuft of basal leaves. Inflorescence open and scorpioid. Corollas small, the limbs 0.5-2.5 mm wide. Calyx with arched or hooked hairs. Nutlets single, smooth, broadly flattened at the base. The style is equal to or slightly longer than half the length of the nutlet.

Desert Cryptantha, Pinyon Desert Cryptantha, Pinyon Desert cat's-eye: Cryptantha scoparia -

Pinewoods Cryptanth, Pinewoods Cryptantha, Pine Woods Cryptantha: Cryptantha simulans - Annual. Slender plants lacking a tuft of basal leaves. Inflorescence open and scorpioid. Corollas small, the limbs 0.5-2.5 mm wide. Calyx hairs more or less straight. Nutlets rough-surfaced, but not winged. Herbage of plants with closely appressed hairs (No spreading hairs present.).

Alpine Cryptanth, Wallowa Cryptantha: Cryptantha sobolifera (Synonyms: Cryptantha schoolcraftii, Cryptantha subretusa, Oreocarya subretusa) -

Elko Cryptanth, Narrow-leaved Cryptantha, Snake River Catseye, Snake River Cat's Eye, Snake River Cryptantha: Cryptantha spiculifera (Synonyms: Cryptantha interrupta, Oreocarya spiculifera) -

Thompson's Cryptantha, Thompson's Cat's-eye: Cryptantha thompsonii - Perennial.

Torrey's Cat's Eye, Torrey's Cryptantha: Cryptantha torreyana (Synonyms: Cryptantha calycosa, Cryptantha eastwoodiae, Cryptantha flexulosa, Cryptantha torreyana var. calycosa, Cryptantha torreyana var. pumila, Cryptantha torreyana var. torreyana) - Annual. Slender plants lacking a tuft of basal leaves. Inflorescence open and scorpioid. Corollas small, the limbs 0.5-2.5 mm wide. Calyx hairs more or less straight. 4 nutlets present, smooth surfaced. Style less than the nutlets.

Watson's Cat's-eye, Watson's Cryptanth, Watson's Cryptantha: Cryptantha watsonii - Annual.


Paul Slichter