Wingnut Cryptantha

Cryptantha pterocarya

wingnut cryptantha blooming at Academy Village

About the Plant

Wingnut cryptantha is a native annual, one of our earlier spring wildflower. A hairy plant with tiny white flower, it is upright in form, to about 16 inches in our area. There are several species of Cryptantha in Arizona, all similar and hard to identify. Green sepals enclose the winged nutlets (fruit) of this species. The wings on the nutlets distinguish wingnut cryptantha from the other Cryptantha species.

Wingnut cryptantha needs no care from you other than to leave it alone until it dies back and seeds are released.

More Information

Map of distribution in US

Technical botanical description from SEINet

 

ID Characteristics

This plant is in the Boraginaceae  - the borage family.
wingnut cryptantha blooming at Academy Village
Wingnut cryptantha is a tall, slender plant that first branches near the top, then produces new stems from the base. It grows to just over a foot.
wingnut cryptantha blooming at Academy Village
The alternate leaves are long and slender, over an inch long. They are hairy/bristly as is the stem. The overall form may remind you of common fiddleneck and flatspine stickseed.
Cryptantha pterocarya
The flowers are tiny, no more than 1/8 inch wide and held on the end of the stem. They are white with 5 lobes.
wingnut cryptantha blooming at Academy Village
The seeds (nutlets) are enclosed by the 5 sepals as they mature. Each sepals is edged with white hairs that form vertical ridges (see photo of flowers). Each nutlet has "wings", thin protrusion around the edge. Click on the photo above to enlarge. On the right, the sepals have been torn away to expose the winged nutlets. Each nutlet is 1/8 inch long.