Species: Cryptantha celosioides (Eastw.) Payson

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Cryptantha celosioides (Eastw.) Payson

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Boraginaceae

Genus:

Cryptantha

Species Synonyms:

Cryptantha bradburiana Payson
Cryptantha macounii (Eastw.) Payson
Cryptantha nubigena var. macounii (Eastw.) Boivin
Cryptantha sheldonii (Brand) Pasión
Oreocarya celosioides Eastw.
Oreocarya glomerata (Parsh) Greene, non Lehm. ex Fisch.
Oreocarya macounii Eastw.
Oreocarya sheldonii Brand

Common Names:

buttecandle
minerscandle
clustered oreocarya
cryptanthe

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southern British Columbia - southern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan:

southern Saskatchewan; Matador - Roche Percee

Ecoregion:

Mixed Grassland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

open, sandy grassland slopes

Associated Species:

Gutierrezia sarothrae, Juniperus horizontalis, Machaeranthera grindelioides var. grindelioides, Stenotus armerioides var. armerioides

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Endangered

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Cryptantha celosioides is endangered in Saskatchewan because of extreme rarity. In addition, this plant grows in a fragile environment and in areas of planned developments.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

10 – 40 cm

Roots:

taproot woody

Stem:

caudex simple or branched; erect stems 1 – several, stout, densely setose-hairy

Leaves:

basal and cauline; basal leaves several, tufted, tapered to petiole grade into lower cauline leaves, 2 – 7 cm long, 5 – 10 mm wide, oblanceolate to spatulate, apex obtuse, greyish green, setose, tomentose and pustulate above and below, margin entire; cauline leaves alternate, sessile, to 3 cm long, to 0.5 cm wide, slightly reduced upwards, oblanceolate to elliptic, apex acute to obtuse, greyish green, setose-hairy

Inflorescence:

spike leafy, several-flowered, cylindrical to paniculate with age, occupying 2/3 to 3/4 of upper stem

Flower:

calyx 8 – 10 mm long, densely setose-hirsute; corolla limbs 7 – 11 mm long, white with yellow eye

Fruits:

nutlets 4, 3 – 4 mm long, dull to glossy

CRYPTANTHA KEY FOR VARIETIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Perennial; taproot woody; stems simple or branched from base; conspicuous tuft of basal leaves; inflorescence a raceme of cymose clusters; corolla 6 – 11 mm wide, conspicuous	C. celosioides
1 Annual; taproot slender; stems often diffusely branched; lacking conspicuous tuft of basal leaves; monochasic cymes spike-like; corolla less than 2 mm wide, minute	2

2 Inflorescence bracteate throughout, bracts longer than calyx; calyx lobes long with thick, indurate, whitish mid-nerves	C. minima
2 Inflorescence bracteate only below, bracts not conspicuous, lacking in upper flowers; calyx lobes short, neither whitened nor thickened	3

3 Nutlets not heteromorphic, all smooth or nearly so	C. fendleri
3 Nutlets heteromorphic, one large and smooth, three smaller and tuberculate	C. kelseyana