(Western Stickseed)
Lappula occidentalis var. occidentalis, Four Mile Area, Chaffee Co. 9650
Lappula occidentalis var. occidentalis, Four Mile Area, Chaffee Co. 9759
Lappula occidentalis var. occidentalis, Four Mile Area, Chaffee Co. 9755
Lappula occidentalis var. occidentalis, Four Mile Area, Chaffee Co. 9652
Lappula occidentalis var. occidentalis, Four Mile Area, Chaffee Co. 9766
Lappula occidentalis var. occidentalis, Four Mile Area, Chaffee Co. 9764
Lappula occidentalis var. occidentalis, Four Mile Area, Chaffee Co. 9762
| Scientific Name | Lappula occidentalis var. occidentalis (Lappula redowskii var. redowskii) | USDA PLANTS Symbol | LAOCO |
| Common Name | Western Stickseed, Flatspine Sheepburr | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 528678 |
| Family | Boraginaceae (Forget-me-not) | SEINet Reference |
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| Description |
Life zones and habitat: Plains to subalpine (3500 to 10000 ft.); drier soils in prairies, roadsides and disturbed areas. Plant: Erect annual 6 to 24 inches tall, stem branching upwards. Leaves: Alternate, linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 3/4 to 3 inches long and less than 3/8-inch wide, sessile, margins without teeth, surfaces with soft hairs and without obvious lateral veins. Inflorescence: Very small light blue to white flowers in curled racemes at stem tips; funnel-shaped corolla with 5 lobes with rounded tips, less than 1/4-inch across. Bloom Period: April to August. Fruit: Prickly egg-shaped cluster 1/8-inch tall of four, spiny nutlets each with a single row of stiff, barbed prickles; prickles are separated, not fused at their bases. References: "Flora of Colorado" by Jennifer Ackerfield, Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses and SEINet. |
BONAP Distribution Map Map Color Key |
Colorado Status: Native |
© Tom Lebsack 2025
Banner photo: Castilleja rhexifolia and a brewing storm over the San Juan Mountains
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