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oilshale cryptantha
Scientific Name: Cryptantha barnebyi
Family: Boraginaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Subshrub, Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Cryptantha barnebyi
Also known as Barneby's Cryptanth and Oilshale Cryptantha.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Cryptantha barnebyi I.M. Johnston
- Family: Boraginaceae
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Synonym: Napa false (Cryptantha barnebyi I.M. Johnston, CRBA6)
Distribution and Habitat
- Cryptantha barnebyi occurs on substrates in the Green River Formation where oil shales are present, particularly in semi-arid Colorado oil-shale lands.
- It is associated with oil shale barrens.
Ecological Role
- Due to its association with oil shale, Cryptantha barnebyi is vulnerable to habitat destruction from oil and gas development.
- It is considered an oil shale endemic, limited to specific soil conditions.
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- Slender cryptantha is typically found growing on slopes and knolls of the Green River Formation oil shales in sparsely vegetated areas.
- Erect Cryptantha
Associations
- Cryptantha barnebyi is associated with other oil shale endemics such as Aquilegia barnebyi and Cryptantha rollinsii.
- It can be found in habitats with Penstemon grahamii, Atriplex confertifolia, and Cirsium barnebyi.
Further Information
- Information about Cryptantha can be found in the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) under TSN 31788.