Southwest Colorado Wildflowers, Oreocarya

Oreocaryas are lovely plants with an abundance of tiny flowers, hairy leaves very evident in early spring, and persisting dried flower stalks. The Oreocarya genus is quite similar in appearance and characteristics to the Cryptantha genus, and, in fact, many members of the Cryptantha genus were at first placed in the Oreocarya genus. In 1927 Edwin Payson moved these Oreocarya into the Cryptantha genus and this move has been accepted by most botanists since then. Colorado plant authority William Weber has gone back to the original designation of Oreocarya for a number of these plants.

Weber separates the Oreocarya genus from the Cryptantha genus 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 of most members of these two genera; often the distinguishing characteristic is the shape of the nutlet.

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

Click for more Oreocarya and for Cryptantha.

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

Semi-desert. Canyonlands. Spring.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, April 5, 2005.

This Oreocarya is, according to William Weber, "probably the most common and variable species [in Colorado], from [the] Gunnison Basin westward, in sagebrush and pinon-juniper". It can be erect or reclining, is very hairy, and has flowers with a touch of yellow in the center and along the throat. It is very similar to Oreocarya fulvocanescens shown immediately above and is distinguished primarily by the shape of its nutlets.

"Flavoculata" is Latin for "a little yellow".

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

Semi-desert. Canyonlands. Spring.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, April 5, 2005.

Synonym: Oreocarya fulvocanescens, Oreocarya nitida. Cryptantha fulvocanescens. (Cryptantha)
Boraginaceae (Forget-Me-Nots)

Semi-desert, foothills. Openings. Spring. Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, May 5, 2009.

Oreocarya fulvocanescens shares the same habitat and many of the characteristics of the other Oreocaryas shown on this page. All of these plants enjoy sunny, sandy/rocky soils and all bloom profusely for more than a month in the spring and early summer. Individual tubular flowers are quite tiny but are so massed that the plants are quite showy.

As you can see in several of the photos on this page, it is common for the plants to show last year's dried flower stems and leaves. Plants grow to almost a foot tall, depending on the moisture and soil conditions.

"Fulvo" and "canescens", both Latin, refer to the plants color: "tawny" "becoming gray".

Synonym: Oreocarya fulvocanescens, Oreocarya nitida. Cryptantha fulvocanescens. (Cryptantha)
Boraginaceae (Forget-Me-Nots)

Semi-desert, foothills. Openings. Spring. The Hogback, New Mexico, April 24, 2007.

The three inch tall young plants shown at left probably grew to only six inches in the 2007 season. In future years such small plants would expand their basal leaf masses to over a foot in diameter and continue to live and flower for many years.

Oreocarya fulvocanescens

Synonym: Oreocarya fulvocanescens, Oreocarya nitida. Cryptantha fulvocanescens. (Cryptantha)
Boraginaceae (Forget-Me-Nots)

Semi-desert, foothills. Openings. Spring. Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, May 5, 2009. The Hogback, New Mexico, April 24, 2007.

Synonym: Oreocarya fulvocanescens, Oreocarya nitida. Cryptantha fulvocanescens. (Cryptantha)
Boraginaceae (Forget-Me-Nots)

Semi-desert, foothills. Openings. Spring. McElmo Canyon, April 25, 2009.

The yellow projections are called "fornices" and are said to be a characteristic which helps to distinguish among species. However, various botanical keys do not agree on the size of the fornices for the different species. How frustrating!

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

Semi-desert. Canyonlands. Spring.
Canyonlands National Park, Utah, April 14, 2004.

This dainty Cryptantha grows only on the Colorado Plateau and only in sandy and rocky areas. The flower is brilliantly white and eye-catching. Leaves are linear to spatulate and quite hairy.

"Tenuis" is Latin for "slim, slender".

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

Range map for Oreocarya flavoculata (Cryptantha flavoculata)

Range map for Oreocarya fulvocanescens (Cryptantha fulvocanescens)

Oreocarya tenuis

Range map for Oreocarya tenuis (Cryptantha tenuis)