The Miniature Suncup is a member of the evening primrose family. Its scientific name, micrantha, literally translates to "small-flowered." While many of its cousins have large, showy blooms, the Miniature Suncup lives up to its name with tiny yellow flowers that are often only 2 to 4 mm wide. You usually have to get on your hands and knees to truly appreciate them.
When they first open, Miniature Suncups are a bright, cheery yellow. As the flowers fade and begin to wilt, they often turn a reddish or orange hue. This helps signal to pollinators which flowers are still "open for business" and providing pollen.
Miniature Suncups are a "pioneer" species that often pops up in charred soil after a wildfire or in freshly shifted sand dunes.
Photo by Chuck Bancroft