Cryptantha affinis
Side-grooved cryptantha, Side-Grooved Cryptantha
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Cryptantha affinis (Side-grooved cryptantha) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by 48 co-occurring species. Key diagnostic: strongly off-center, curved attachment groove on nutlets.
Side-grooved cryptantha is a California native annual found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, southern Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and Warner Mountains in open areas and conifer forest at elevations of 630 to 2,600 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces small white flowers with minute white appendages in delicate, few-flowered cymes. Growing with slender stems 5 to 30 centimeters tall, covered in strigose hairs with some spreading and upcurved, it has sparse branching primarily in the upper half. Its leaves are few, oblanceolate to oblong, 1 to 4 centimeters long, with sparse minute bristles on a bulbous base. The fruit consists of four asymmetric, shiny brown nutlets with a distinctive off-center groove, each 1.8 to 2.5 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 48 co-occurring species. Key diagnostic: strongly off-center, curved attachment groove on nutlets.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open areas, generally conifer forest, chaparral
Elevation: 630-2600 m
California counties: Fresno, Lake, Shasta, Tulare, Butte, San Bernardino, Nevada, Glenn, Plumas, Tuolumne, Colusa, Calaveras, Trinity, El Dorado, Sierra, Amador, Inyo, Mono, Kern, Los Angeles, San Diego, Alpine, Placer, Modoc, Lassen, Yuba, Tehama, Mariposa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Siskiyou, Madera, Monterey, Alameda, Mendocino, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Santa Barbara
Outside California: to Washington, Montana, Wyoming
Bloom period
Cryptantha affinis blooms May-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Plagiobothrys: Seeds have a groove down the inner face, not a raised ridge like Plagiobothrys.; vs Johnstonella: Cryptantha nutlets have grooves; Johnstonella nutlets lack distinct grooves on inner face.; vs Eremocarya: Cryptantha has grooved nutlets; Eremocarya nutlets are smooth without grooves.; vs Phacelia: Cryptantha has coiled flower clusters; Phacelia flowers are in looser, more open arrangements.; vs Pectocarya: Seeds lack the comb-like marginal barbs that give Pectocarya its combseed name.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cryptantha affinis native to California?
Yes. Cryptantha affinis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cryptantha affinis bloom?
Cryptantha affinis blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Cryptantha affinis grow?
Cryptantha affinis occurs in Fresno, Lake, Shasta, Tulare, Butte, San Bernardino, Nevada, Glenn and other counties, at elevations of 630-2600 m.
What plant family does Cryptantha affinis belong to?
Cryptantha affinis is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Cryptantha.
What habitat does Cryptantha affinis grow in?
Cryptantha affinis grows in Open areas, generally conifer forest, chaparral.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Cryptantha ambigua — Wilkes's cryptantha
- Cryptantha barbigera — Bearded cryptantha
- Cryptantha barbigera var. barbigera — Bearded cryptantha
- Cryptantha barbigera var. fergusoniae — Palm springs cryptantha
- Cryptantha catalinensis — Santa catalina island cryptantha
- Cryptantha clementina — San clemente island dune cryptantha
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.