WILDFLOWERS OF NEW MEXICO

Cylindric clusters of dainty white flowers with yellow centers on 2–12-inch long, unbranching, stems can almost obscure the numerous gray-green basal leaves that sprout from a woody base. Note the slivery, flat-lying hairs on the leaves, the slightly brown-tawny hairs of the flower cluster, the flower tube extends beyond the tip if the sepals (calyx) beneath the flower, and one rough nutlet per flower. The nutlets are often necessary to separate Cryptantha species.

FLOWERS: April–June. Cylindrical clusters of flowers with 5 petals united at the base to form a tube 1/4–1/2-inch (6–12 mm) long that spreads open into 5 rounded, white petal-like limbs 1/4–3/8-inch wide (6–9 mm), with conspicuous, erect yellow scales (fornices), 1–1.5 mm long, around the throat. Note the floral tube extends beyond the tips of the sepals. Mature fruit with 1 (2) nutlet 3–4.4 mm long, tear-shaped, surface rough with tiny sharp points  (use lens).

LEAVES: Mostly basal, alternate on stem. Blades narrow with rounded to pointed tips, entire margins; surfaces covered with silvery hairs, lower surface with tiny blister-like dots at the base of the hairs (use hand lens).

HABITAT: Sandy, shale, gypseous soils; desert scrub to pinyon-juniper woodlands.

ELEVATION: 4,500–8,000 feet.

RANGE: AZ, CO, NM, UT.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Payson’s White Hiddenflower, C. paysonii, in so.-cen. NM, also has bright yellow scales in the center and a flower tube that extends beyond the calyx lobes, but it has 4 tiny nutlets per flower (use lens).   Bow-nut Cryptantha, C. cinerea, has a woody base, grows 2–5-inches tall, is hairy but not bristly, and has 4 identical smooth nutlets. The number, shape, and surface texture of the tiny nutlets help distinguish the Cryptantha species.

NM COUNTIES: Common western half of NM in low- to mid-elevation, dry habitats: Catron, Cibola, De Baca, Dona Ana, Guadalupe, McKinley, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Juan, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Socorro, Taos, Valencia.