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, although the Colorado plant authority William Weber moved many members of the Cryptantha genus to the Oreocarya genus, most botanists have not followed his lead. It is very difficult to determine the exact species of most members of these two genera; often the distinguishing characteristic is the shape of the nutlet.

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."

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

See Cryptantha.

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

Semi-desert, foothills. Openings. Spring.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, May 13, 2004.

These bright Forget-Me-Nots are favorite spring Canyon Country wildflowers for many wildflower enthusiasts. They are abundant perennials commonly found along trails in Pinyon-Juniper forests and sandy/rocky openings. It is pleasant to watch the gray mass of last year’s dead leaves yield to new, very hairy, light-green to sage-green to blue-green leaves and then to numerous clusters of tiny bright flowers, also in a very hairy cluster (see next picture).

"Flava" is Greek for "yellow".

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

Semi-desert, foothills. Openings. Spring.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, May 13, 2004.