Southwest Colorado Wildflowers, Cryptantha

Cryptanthas are lovely plants with an abundance of tiny flowers, hairy leaves very evident in early spring, and persisting dried flower stalks.

The Cryptantha and Oreocarya genera are quite similar in appearance and characteristics. In 1927 Edwin Payson moved many Oreocaryas to the Cryptantha genus and most botanists accept this classification; Colorado plant authority William Weber does not and retains the Oreocarya designation for most species in the Four Corners area. Weber separates the two genera as follows:

Oreocarya: "Biennial or perennial from rosettes of basal leaves; flowers more than 5 mm in diameter, often distinctly long-tubular with prominent yellow eye."

Cryptantha: "Annual without rosettes of basal leaves; flowers minute, less than 5 mm diameter, short-tubed with inconspicuous eye."

Whatever the genus name, it is difficult to determine the exact species; often the distinguishing characteristic is the shape and markings of the tiny nutlet, observable only with a hand lens or microscope.

"Oreos" is Greek for "mountain" and "caryum" is Greek for "nut".

"Cryptantha" is Greek for "hidden flower" and probably refers to the very small size of the flower.

The Cryptantha genus was named by Lehman in 1837 and the Oreocarya genus was named by Edward Greene in 1887.

This web site, following the nomenclature of John Kartesz, recognizes just the one genus, Cryptantha.

Click for more Cryptanthas.

Cryptantha humilis. Synonym: Oreocarya humilis.
Boraginaceae (Forget-Me-Not Family)

Semi-desert. Openings. Spring.
Colorado, near Four Corners, April 17, 2010.

Cryptantha humilis spreads low along the ground but sends up straight, vertical flower stems from four to eight inches tall. The inflorescence (the flower cluster) is conspicuously very hairy. C. humilis is not common in the Four Corners where it is almost at its most eastern occurrence, but westward through Utah and Nevada it becomes a common Cryptantha.

Welsh indicates that this is the "most variable of all Utah Cryptanthas".

Edward Greene named this plant Oreocarya humilis in 1896 from a collection he made in the same year in Nevada. Edwin Payson placed the plant in the Cryptantha genus in 1927 and most botanists today agree with that genus name.

"Humilis" is Latin for "low".

Cryptantha humilis. Synonym: Oreocarya humilis.
Boraginaceae (Forget-Me-Not Family)

Semi-desert. Spring. Openings.
Colorado, near Four Corners, April 17, 2010.

Cryptantha humilis. Synonym: Oreocarya humilis.
Boraginaceae (Forget-Me-Not Family)

Semi-desert. Openings. Spring.
Colorado, near Four Corners, April 17, 2010.

Cryptantha paradoxa. Synonym: Oreocarya paradoxa.
Boraginaceae (Forget-Me-Nots)

Semi-desert. Openings. Spring.
Utah, near the Four Corners, April 17, 2010.

This lovely plant is far less common than most of the other Cryptanthas shown in this web site. As the range map below shows, Cryptantha paradoxa has a very limited range in eastern Utah, western Colorado, and one northwestern county in New Mexico.

Cryptantha paradoxa grows no more than about four inches tall, has long, soft hairs, and has fornices (those yellow protrusions at the base of the white petals) no more than a millimeter high.

Aven Nelson named this plant Oreocarya paradoxa in 1913 from a collection made by Walker in Montrose, Colorado. Edwin Payson placed the plant in the Cryptantha genus in 1927 and most botanists today agree with that genus name.

"Paradoxa" is Greek for "incredible" or "marvelous".

Cryptantha paradoxa. Synonym: Oreocarya paradoxa.
Boraginaceae (Forget-Me-Nots)

Semi-desert. Openings. Spring.
Utah, near the Four Corners, April 17, 2010.

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Eradicated
Questionable presence

Oreocarya humilis

Range map for Cryptantha humilis

Oreocarya paradoxa

Range map for Cryptantha paradoxa