Mountain Cryptantha

Oreocarya cana is a perennial plant, forming caespitose mats from a thick caudex with many inflorescences that are 40 to 150 mm (1.6 to 5.9 in) tall, narrow, and typically restricted to the upper half of the stem. Stems are densely but rather weakly covered in bristly hairs, and support inconspicuous foliar bracts. Sepals are 3–6 mm (1⁄8–1⁄4 in) long and finely covered in setose hairs. Tubular corollas are composed of five fused white petals roughly 3 mm (1⁄8 in) long, and are actinomorphic (radially symmetrical), with prominent yellow eyes (fornices).

Leaves are crowded near the main caudex, and are narrowly oblanceolate, reaching lengths of 20–60 mm (3⁄4–2+3⁄8 in) long. Leaves are densely and uniformly silky strigose, giving a smooth appearance to the naked eye, and are very inconspicuously pustulate abaxially(on the underside) and covered in bristly, setose hairs, while pustules on adaxial(upper) surfaces are highly obscured.

Once successfully pollinated, fruits are produced in the form of nutlets. Each flower typically only produces one mature nutlet, but can produce more. …

Primary range is the western high plains of the United States, from Northeastern Colorado, north through eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska, into southwestern South Dakota. Disjunctions of Oreocarya cana have been recorded occurring further west through Wyoming into Carbon and Bighorn counties in Montana, as well as rarely in North Dakota. Entire species range are estimates based on collected herbarium specimens.

Oreocarya cana is typically found at elevations of 3,000 to 6,000 ft (910 to 1,830 m), on sites receiving 12 to 17 in (300 to 430 mm) precipitation annually. Occurrences are usually on dry, rocky, exposed sites, often occurring as a chasmophyte or lithophyte on sandstone Rimrock of bluffs and buttes, as well as on rolling plains either in Rocky Mountain Juniper and Rocky Mountain Ponderosa pine forest, or shortgrass prairie ecosystems.

O. cana appears unable to compete with dominant sod-forming grasses of the shortgrass prairies such as Bouteloua gracilis and Bouteloua dactyloides that make up the climax vegetation. It escapes to shaley ridges or gravelly outcrops which periodically jut up through the prairie sod where it flourishes. In these habitats, O. cana finds itself at home with various species of Atriplex, Artemisia, Astragalus, Eriogonum, Eremogone, Physaria, Mentzelia, Penstemon, Townsendia, Phlox and other similar forms. Blooms typically occur May and June.

Little in depth study has been done on most species in the genus Oreocarya regarding ecological relations with organisms from other kingdoms, but most species are known to be pollinated by insects. Lepidoptera and Coleoptera have been observed visiting several species of Oreocarya and undoubtedly serve as pollinators. Seed dispersal mechanisms within the genus Oreocarya are almost entirely unknown. Nutlets of several species have been shown to have slightly winged margins(shown in above photo), but the size of the wing in relation to nutlet size, is such that it likely has little to no aid in wind dispersal. Seed dispersal by means of an animal vector is the most plausible answer to long-distance dispersal events.