Cryptantha

Cryptantha
(Popcorn flowers or
White Forget-me-nots)

There are several similar species of Cryptantha, differing only in technical details. Some of the ones that are mentioned in my books as occurring in this area are:
Cryptantha nana
Cryptantha flavoculata
Cryptantha capitata
Cryptantha tenuis
Cryptantha celosoides
Cryptantha angustifolia

The flowers are very tiny -- only about a third of an inch across. The petals are joined into a five-lobed corolla, with a yellow ring or collar in the center.

Often the blossoms are tightly clumped at the ends of the stems, so that each clump resembles popcorn.

The plants commonly grow on dry rocky hillsides. They bloom in the spring.

The leaves are fuzzy or hairy, to help conserve moisture.



Another quite closely related plant is also called the "Popcorn Flower". It is in the same family (Boraginaceae), but a different genus (Plagiobothrys). I don't yet have any photos.