Cryptantha micrantha – “Red-Rooted Forget-Me-Not”

Also Known As: Purple-Rooted Forget-Me-Not
Family: Borage (Boraginaceae)
Bloom Period: Mar-Aug
Form: Annual ephemeral herb
Habitat: Sandy and gravelly soils
Leaves: Oblong to oblanceolate; basal
Translation: “Cryptantha” is Greek for “hidden flower,” which refers to the tiny – virtually invisible – flowers in this genus; “micrantha” is Greek for “small flower.” This is an excellent botanical name; it is truly a “small-flowered hidden flower.”
Notes: AA battery shows scale. I would not have noticed this plant at all if we had not stopped for a picnic while on a hike right next to a patch of it.