Lappula redowskii var. redowskii
Family: Boraginaceae
western stickseed
[Echinospermum redowskii var. occidentalis (Hornem.) Lehm.,  more...]
Lappula redowskii var. redowskii image
from USDA Plants website  
Etymology: Lappula: diminutive of lappa for "bur"
Plants: erect, annual, 8"-32" tall forb, rough, hairy
Leaves: stalkless
Flowers: blue, 5-parted, 1/8" wide, funnel shape, stalked, tube length about the same as the petal's width, stamens shorter than the petals, linear to lance-like bracts; inflorescence a many-branched, helix-shaped cluster (cyme) at the ends of the branches; blooms May-Sept.
Fruits: nutlet, stalked, prickles on margins in 1 row and distinct to the base
Habitat: disturbed areas
Conservation Status: Introduced - adventive
Lappula redowskii var. redowskii image
from USDA Plants website