Duration: Annual

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Forb/Herb

General: Annual branched from base or throughout stem, strigose, 5-35 cm tall.

Leaves: Linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 1-3 cm, with many bulbous-based bristles.

Flowers: Open helicoid cyme with flowers spreading to recurved; sepals 1.5-2 mm, 2-3.5 mm and curved in fruit, densely spreading-bristly, hairs collectively light yellow brown, corolla limb 1-2 mm wide, white.

Fruits: Nutlet, 1-2, 1.5-2 mm, lanceolate, curved, back fine-granular, brown, groove more or less closed, flared open at base.

Ecology: Found in sandy to rocky soils from 2,500-8,000 ft (762-2438 m); flowers April-June.

Notes: The recurved nutlets and calyx help to distinguish this from other species. As with all Cryptantha and Boraginaceae in general, you need flowers and fruits to key this species out.

Ethnobotany: Unknown, but other species in the genera have uses.

Synonyms: None

Editor: SBuckley, 2010

Etymology: Cryptantha comes from the Greek krypto, "hidden," and anthos, "flower," a reference to the first described species in the genus which has inconspicuous flowers that self-fertilize without opening; recurvata means curving backwards.