Virgin River cryptantha | |
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Oreocarya virginensis in the State Line Hills, 1 km northwest of Primm, Nevada, near the Spring Mountains. | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Boraginales |
Family: | Boraginaceae |
Genus: | Oreocarya |
Species: | O. virginensis
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Binomial name | |
Oreocarya virginensis (M.E.Jones) J.F.Macbr.
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Synonyms[1] | |
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Oreocarya virginensis is a species of wildflower in the family Boraginaceae known by the common name Virgin River cryptantha.[2] This is a small plant native to the southwestern United States (Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah[2]) where it is a common plant in scrub and woodland. It is named for the Virgin River, a tributary of the Colorado River which runs through the region. This cryptantha is an annual or occasionally a perennial up to 40 centimeters in height. It is coated densely in long white hairs and bristles. The inflorescence is cylindrical or club-shaped, packed with tubular flowers with flat-faced corollas. The flower is usually bright white with yellow throat parts at the tube opening. The fruit is a rough, ridged nutlet.