General:
Biennial or short-lived perennial herb from a sometimes branched stem-base, silky throughout with fine, straight, appressed hairs and also with bulbous-based bristles; stems 1-several, 10-50 cm tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves several, tufted, conspicuous, spoon-shaped or broadly oblanceolate, rounded at tip, 2-8 cm long, 4-15 mm wide; stem leaves somewhat reduced, entire, alternate.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of short "spikes" aggregated into a long cluster (thyrse); petals white, fused into a tube that spreads (8-12 mm wide) at top to 5 lobes, with 5 yellow bulges at throat; calyces 4-8 mm long in fruit, coarsely stiff-hairy and bristly.

Fruits:
Nutlets 4, clustered together, 3-5 mm long, egg-shaped or lance-egg-shaped, wrinkled and bumpy, with medial groove closed at base.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Cryptantha bradburiana Payson
Cryptantha macounii (Eastw.) Payson
Cryptantha nubigena var. celosioides
Cryptantha nubigena var. macounii (Eastw.) Boivin
Cryptantha sheldonii (Brand) Payson
Oreocarya celosioides Eastw.
Oreocarya glomerata (Pursh) Greene, non Lehm. ex Fisch.
Oreocarya macounii Eastw.
Oreocarya sheldonii Brand