The trumpet-shaped flowers of
lithospermum incisum consist of a narrow yellow tube up 3 inches long, topped by five thin lobes which have an irregularly toothed edge, like a fringe. They grow from the ends of the short leaf stalks, and the whole plant usually stays relatively small, close to the ground, though it sometimes reaches a height of 18 inches. The yellow corolla is supported by a green, deeply five-lobed calyx, about a half to a third as long. Calyces, leaves and stems have a covering of short, strigose hairs, pressed against the surface. The alternative common name of stoneseed refers to the hard, nut-like seeds, produced late in the season from specialized flowers, lower down the leaf stalks.