Lappula occidentalis

Family: Boraginaceae – Borage Family

Annual herbs; 6” to 1.2' (15 to 35 cm) tall

Leaves: alternate; simple; has hairs; 0.4” to 1.2” (1 to 3 cm) long

Flowers: small; 5 lobed blue corolla 0.12” to 0.16” (3 to 4 mm) long with a rather short tube; sepals 5 parted; 5 stamens; flowers in the axils of the bracts

Pollinators: other genera in this family are pollinated by insects

Fruits: 4 nutlets with a row of barbed prickles

Blooms in Arches National Park: March, April, May

Habitat in Arches National Park: desert shrub, sagebrush, pinyon-juniper, and rabbitbrush communities

Location seen: widespread; Windows, Broken Arch trail

Other: The genus name, “Lappula”, comes from the Latin name, “lappa”, which means “a bur”. The species name, “occidentalis”, means “from the west”.