General: Virgin River Cryptantha (Oreocarya virginensis) is a biennial or short-lived perennial forb that grows an upright leafy flowering stalk from a basal rosette. One or a few flower stalks, but the central stalk usually is largest. Flower stalks and seed pods densely covered with prickly hairs, leaves less so. Flowers are white with a yellow center (or more precisely: petals white with yellow flower appendages). Nutlets are required for certain ID: nutlet attachment scar triangular.

Virgin River Cryptantha is a fairly common component of vegetation communities in dry, well-drained gravelly areas on bajadas into the lower mountains in the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub) life zone.

Around Las Vegas, look for Virgin River Cryptantha in the lower mountains, especially along the east slope of the Spring Mountains and west slope of the Sheep Range.

Family: Forget-Me-Not (Boraginaceae). Formerly Cryptantha virginensis.