''Pectocarya'' is a

plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of about 15Jepson Manual Treatment
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species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Boraginaceae Boraginaceae, the Borago, borage or forget-me-not family, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees, and herbs in 146 to 154 genus, genera with a worldwide distribution. The APG IV system from 2016 classifies the Boraginaceae as single famil ...

. Plants in this genus are known generally as combseeds. They are small annual plants which bear tiny white flowers no more than 3 millimeters in diameter. Their fruits are

nutlet A nut is a fruit consisting of a hard or tough nutshell protecting a kernel which is usually edible. In general usage and in a culinary sense, many dry seeds are called nuts, but in a botanical context, "nut" implies that the shell does not open ...

s which often have small projections that look like the teeth of a

comb A comb is a tool consisting of a shaft that holds a row of teeth for pulling through the hair to clean, untangle, or style it. Combs have been used since prehistoric times, having been discovered in very refined forms from settlements dating ba ...

, hence their common name. The nutlets usually come in clusters of four. These plants are found mainly in western North America.

Species

13 species are accepted. * '' Pectocarya anisocarpa'' * ''

Pectocarya anomala ''Pectocarya'' is a plant genus of about 15 species in the family (biology), family Boraginaceae. Plants in this genus are known generally as combseeds. They are small annual plants which bear tiny white flowers no more than 3 millimeters in diam ...

'' * '' Pectocarya boliviana'' * ''

Pectocarya dimorpha ''Pectocarya'' is a plant genus of about 15 species in the family Boraginaceae. Plants in this genus are known generally as combseeds. They are small annual plants which bear tiny white flowers no more than 3 millimeters in diameter. Their fruits ...

'' * '' Pectocarya heterocarpa'' – chuckwalla combseed * ''

Pectocarya lateriflora ''Pectocarya'' is a plant genus of about 15 species in the family Boraginaceae. Plants in this genus are known generally as combseeds. They are small annual plants which bear tiny white flowers no more than 3 millimeters in diameter. Their fruits ...

'' * '' Pectocarya linearis'' – sagebrush combseed * ''

Pectocarya penicillata ''Pectocarya penicillata'' is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names sleeping combseed,Pectocarya peninsularis ''Pectocarya peninsularis'' is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names Baja pectocarya and peninsular pectocarya. It is native to the Sonoran Desert of California and Baja California, where it grows in open des ...

'' – peninsula combseed * ''

Pectocarya platycarpa ''Pectocarya'' is a plant genus of about 15 species in the family Boraginaceae. Plants in this genus are known generally as combseeds. They are small annual plants which bear tiny white flowers no more than 3 millimeters in diameter. Their fruits ...

'' – broadfruit combseed * ''

Pectocarya pusilla ''Pectocarya pusilla'' is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names little combseed and little pectocarya. It is native to the west coast of the United States from Washington to central California, where it grows ...

'' – little combseed, purple prairieclover * ''

Pectocarya recurvata ''Pectocarya recurvata'' is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names curvenut combseed and arched-nut pectocarya. It is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, where it grows in many ty ...

'' – curvenut combseed, combbur * ''

Pectocarya setosa ''Pectocarya setosa'', known by the common names moth combseed and round-nut pectocarya, is a species of flowering plant in the borage family. Distribution The plant is native to western North America, in Northwestern Mexico in Baja California a ...

'' – moth combseed

References

Flora of Northern America Boraginaceae genera {{Boraginoideae-stub