About Pectocarya penicillata (Hook. & Arn.) A.DC.
Pectocarya penicillata (Hook. & Arn.) A.DC. is a flowering plant species in the borage family, known by the common names sleeping combseed, shortleaf combseed, winged combseed and northern pectocarya. It is native to most of western North America, spanning from British Columbia to Wyoming to Baja California. It grows in many habitat types, including disturbed areas like roadsides. This annual herb produces a slender, rough-haired stem, mostly decumbent in shape, reaching a maximum length of about 25 centimeters. Its small, pointed linear leaves grow in an alternate arrangement, spaced widely along the stem. The inflorescence is a series of flowers, each attached to a curved pedicel. Each flower has small green sepals and tiny white petals. The fruit is a group of four nutlets, each lined with comblike prickles.
