Wildflowers of the United States

Hoary Puccoon, Orange Puccoon, Indian Paint - Lithospermum canescens

Genus Common Name: Stoneseed

Native Status: Native

Dicot Perennial Herb

Lithospermum canescens - Hoary Puccoon, Orange Puccoon, Indian Paint. About 18 (to 22 if you include Onosmodium - Marbleseed - in Lithospermum, as most recent classification is doing) of the 60 or so Lithospermum species are found in North America, with one in each of the lower 48 states, and most of Canada. All but one of these species are native (L. officinale, the introduced species, is found in the north east and north central states and eastern Canada.)

Lithospermum canescens is one of the more widespread species, found in most states from the plains eastward, although more concentrated in the central part of the country. Other widespread species with overlapping ranges are a pair of eastern species, L. caroliniense (Carolina Puccoon) and L. latifolium (American Stoneseed), and two more western species, L. incisum (Narrowleaf Stoneseed.) and L. ruderale (Western Stoneseed.)

Found in:
AL, AR, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NJ, OH, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV

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Distribution of Lithospermum canescens in the United States and Canada:

Map courtesy of The Biota of North America Program.
Map color key
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Site: Chickamauga Battlefield Cedar Glade, Catoosa County, Ga Date: 2014-April-29	Photographer: Gerald C. Williamson Nikon D7000 Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
The flower of Lithospermum canescens has a bright golden yellow to orange, 5-lobed corolla. The style is contained within the corolla tube, unlike the species which have been moved over to Lithospermum from Onosmodium, which seem to all have exserted styles.

Site: Chickamauga Battlefield Cedar Glade, Catoosa County, Ga Date: 2014-April-29	Photographer: Gerald C Williamson Nikon D7000
Hoary Puccoon is a plant of dry woodlands and glades such as the cedar glade where this was photographed. They grow to about 18 inches tall, frequently with multiple unbranched stems (except perhaps near the top) arising from a single taproot. The similar Lithospermum caroliniense is a larger plant, growing up to 30 inches tall, with somewhat larger flowers.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Site: Chickamauga Battlefield Cedar Glade, Catoosa County, Ga Date: 2014-April-29	Photographer: Gerald C Williamson Nikon D7000
Pretty much all parts of the plant are hairy, typical of Boraginaceae species, although with a name such as "hoary puccoon" this is probably more densely hairy than most other Lithospermum species - slightly more so than the very similar Lithospermum caroliniense. The leaves are alternate and usually a little less than 2 inches long, while those of L. caroliniense may be up to 3 inches long.
Click on the photo for a larger image

References used for identification and information:

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Lithospermum canescens initially published on USWildflowers.com 2014-08-25; Updated 2017-03-02

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All content except USDA Plants Database map Copyright Gerald C. Williamson 2024
Photographs Copyright owned by the named photographer

Code Update 20230302