Perennial or biennial hispid or strigose-pubescent herbs, mostly with thick woody roots, alternate or basal narrow leaves, and small white racemose-paniculate or densely thyrsoid flowers. Calyx very deeply 5-parted or 5-divided, the segments lanceolate, more or less spreading or recurved in fruit. Corolla funnelform or salverform, mostly crested in the throat, 5-lobed. Stamens included. Ovary 4-divided; style mostly short. Nutlets 4, laterally attached to the receptacle, not keeled, their margins acute or winged. [Greek, mountain nut.] Called White Forget-me-not.

About 9 species, natives of western North America and Mexico. Type species: Oreocarya suffruticosa (Torr.) Greene.

Inflorescence racemose-paniculate; nutlets smooth.

1. O. suffruticosa.

Inflorescence thyrsoid or thyrsoid-glomerate; nutlets rough.

Corolla-tube not longer than the calyx, little longer than the lobes. Densely rough-hairy, 6'-18' high.

2. O. glomerata Silvery appressed-pubescent, 3 -6 high.

3. O. sericea.

Corolla-tube longer than the calyx, 2 or 3 times as long as the lobes.

4. O. fulvocanescens.

1. Oreocarya Suffruticosa (Torr.) Greene. Shrubby Oreocarya

Fig. 3519

Myosotis suffruticosa Torr. Ann. Lyc. N. Y. 2: 225.

1827. Eritrichium Jamesii Torr. in Marcy's Rep. 294. 1853. Krynitzkia Jamesii A. Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. 20: 278.

1885. Oreocarya suffruticosa Greene, Pittonia 1: 57. 1887.

Perennial, rather stout, branched from the base and sometimes also above, strigose-pubescent or somewhat hirsute, 5'-12' high. Upper leaves linear, 1/2'-1' long, the lower oblanceolate, somewhat longer, obtuse or acute; racemes slender, panicled; pedicels about 1" long; calyx canescent and somewhat hispid, the segments slightly spreading, or erect in fruit; bractlets longer than the fruiting calyx; corolla 11/2"-3" broad; its tube about equalling the calyx; nutlets smooth, nearly 1" long, shining, closely fitting together, triangular, acute-margined, nearly as wide as high.

In dry soil, western Nebraska and Wyoming to Texas and Arizona. May-Aug.

1 Oreocarya Suffruticosa Torr Greene Shrubby Oreoc 1901 Oreocarya Suffruticosa Torr Greene Shrubby Oreoc 191

2. Oreocarya Glomerata (Pursh) Greene. Clustered Oreocarya

Fig. 3520

Cynoglossum glomeratum Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 729.

1814. Eritrichium glomeratum DC. Prodr. 10: 131. 1846. Krynitzkia glomerata A. Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. 20:

279. 1885. O. glomerata Greene, Pittonia 1: 58. 1887.

Perennial or biennial, densely hispid; stem erect, stout, simple or branched, 6-18' high. Leaves spatulate or the upper linear, obtuse, 1'-2 1/2' long, the basal commonly tufted; inflorescence of thyrsoid clusters, the short dense lateral spike-like clusters mostly longer than the subtending bracts; calyx densely bristly; corolla 3"-5" broad; fruit pyramidal, the nutlets triangular-ovate, acute, acutely margined, papillose on the back.

In dry soil, Manitoba to Nebraska, New Mexico and Utah. May-Sept.

Oreocarya thyrsifldra Greene, a related species of the Rocky Mountain region, enters our limits in western Nebraska.

3. Oreocarya Sericea (A. Gray) Greene. Low Oreocarya

Fig. 3521

Eritrichium glomeratum var. humile A. Gray, Proc.

Am. Acad. 10: 61. 1874. Not E. humile DC. Krynitzkia sericea A. Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. 20: 279.

1885. Oreocarya sericea Greene, Pittonia 1: 58. 1887.

Perennial, low, tufted from the woody root; stems usually simple, 3'-6' high, silvery appressed-pubescent, or hirsute above. Leaves linear-spatulate, 1/2'-1' long, i"-i1/2" wide, obtuse or acutish, imbricated on the short sterile shoots and at the bases of the flowering stems; inflorescence thyrsoid or glomerate, usually short; calyx densely hispid; corolla 2"-3" broad, its tube not longer than the calyx; style short; nutlets acutely margined, acute, papillose on the back.

In dry soil, Northwest Territory to Nebraska and Utah. May-Sept.

3 Oreocarya Sericea A Gray Greene Low Oreocarya 1923 Oreocarya Sericea A Gray Greene Low Oreocarya 193

4. Oreocarya Fulvocanescens (A. Gray) Greene. Tawny Oreocarya

Fig. 3522

Eritrichium fulvocanescens A. Gray, Proc. Am. Acad.

10: 61. 1874. Eritrichium glomeratum var. (?) fulvocanescens S.

Wats. Bot. King's Exp. 243. pl. 23. f. 7. 1871. Oreocarya fulvocanescens Greene, Pittonia 1: 58. 1887.

Perennial, tufted, similar to the preceding species but densely strigose or hirsute. Leaves spatulate, or oblanceolate, obtuse, the lower and basal ones \'-\\' long; inflorescence of thyrsoid clusters; calyx densely setose with yellowish hairs; corolla about 2" broad, its tube longer than the calyx, 2 or 3 times the length of the lobes; style filiform; nutlets acutely margined, tuberculate on the back.

In dry soil, western Nebraska (according to Webber), Wyoming to Nevada and New Mexico. May-Aug.