Tawny Cat’s Eye, Tawny Cryptantha, Gray Cat’s Eye Cryptantha fulvocanescens (Oreocarya fulvocanescens) Borage Family (Boraginaceae)

The Bloom Blog
Blooming this week in the environs of Abiquiú
By Wildflowers of the Southern Rocky Mountains

Found in sunny, sandy, dry areas, waste ground
Seen blooming in April in Red Wash Canyon
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The Borage family are low growing, densely hairy plants and have flowers with five petals. Cryptanthas are distinguished by their tiny white clusters of flowers with a yellow center, the “eye”. They are commonly known as Cat’s Eyes. Plants will often show last year’s dried stems and leaves. This one grows to about 6 inches high in clumps. Native Americans, specifically the Navajo, used Tawny Cat’s Eye for medicinal purposes: a decoction of plants was taken at childbirth, a cold infusion was used to treat snakebites, a poultice applied for toothaches and the plants were chewed for coughs and colds. Source.

If you are trying to identify a different flower then you can check what other flowers bloom this month. If you cannot identify a flower from the website, send a photo and where you took it to [email protected]. Read online for tips.