Eucrypta micrantha
Encyclopedia
Eucrypta micrantha is a species of flowering plant in the waterleaf family
known by the common name dainty desert hideseed. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it can be found in a number of desert and mountain habitat types.
This is one of two species of Eucrypta
, which are sticky, aromatic annual herbs. This species produces a number of thin, densely glandular stems not more than about 30 centimeters long. The leaves are roughly oval in shape but are intricately divided into many lobes of varying shapes. Most of the leaves are located on the lower stem; any leaves higher up are much smaller.
The inflorescence
produces several tiny flowers with sepal
s often coated in black glands. The flower is just a few millimeters wide and white or purple with a yellow throat. The fruit is a bristly capsule 2 or 3 millimeters wide.
Hydrophyllaceae
Hydrophylloideae is a subfamily of the Boraginaceae family of flowering plants. Their taxonomic position is somewhat uncertain. Traditionally, and under the Cronquist system, they were given family rank under the name Hydrophyllaceae, and treated as part of the order Solanales...
known by the common name dainty desert hideseed. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it can be found in a number of desert and mountain habitat types.
This is one of two species of Eucrypta
Eucrypta
Eucrypta is a genus of flowering plants containing only two species. The genus name Eucrypta means "well-hidden", which refers to the seeds being "hidden" in the small green bristled fruits. The two species are known generally as hideseeds. They are both native to the southwestern United States...
, which are sticky, aromatic annual herbs. This species produces a number of thin, densely glandular stems not more than about 30 centimeters long. The leaves are roughly oval in shape but are intricately divided into many lobes of varying shapes. Most of the leaves are located on the lower stem; any leaves higher up are much smaller.
The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
produces several tiny flowers with sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s often coated in black glands. The flower is just a few millimeters wide and white or purple with a yellow throat. The fruit is a bristly capsule 2 or 3 millimeters wide.