Cryptantha ambigua
Wilkes's cryptantha, Wilkes' Cryptantha
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Berger · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Cryptantha ambigua (Wilkes's cryptantha) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by 24 co-occurring species. Key features: multi-stemmed growth, wide-ovate unflattened nutlets with papillate surface.
Wilkes's cryptantha is a California native annual found in the high Sierra Nevada Mountains, Great Basin, and northern California regions in dry, sandy or gravelly areas from sagebrush scrub to open conifer forest at elevations of 1,100 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces small white flowers with delicate, minute appendages. Growing 10 to 30 centimeters tall with multiple erect to ascending branches that spread from the base, it has distinctive sparse-bristly stems with spreading hairs. Its leaves are 2 to 4 centimeters long, generally oblong to linear, covered in stiff strigose hairs with bristly margins. The fruit consists of 3 or 4 small nutlets about 1.6 to 2 millimeters long, which are grayish, slightly glossy, and finely textured with a rounded margin.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 24 co-occurring species. Key features: multi-stemmed growth, wide-ovate unflattened nutlets with papillate surface.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, sandy or gravelly areas in sagebrush scrub to open conifer forest, occasionally pinyon/juniper woodland
Elevation: 1100-2500 m
California counties: Mono, Lassen, El Dorado, Modoc, Nevada, Tulare, Siskiyou, Madera, Sierra, Plumas, Tehama, Inyo, Placer, Sutter, Shasta, Trinity, Amador, San Bernardino, Mariposa, Fresno, Alpine, Sonoma, Yolo, Tuolumne
Outside California: to southern British Columbia, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado
Bloom period
Cryptantha ambigua 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 ambigua native to California?
Yes. Cryptantha ambigua is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cryptantha ambigua bloom?
Cryptantha ambigua blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Cryptantha ambigua grow?
Cryptantha ambigua occurs in Mono, Lassen, El Dorado, Modoc, Nevada, Tulare, Siskiyou, Madera and other counties, at elevations of 1100-2500 m.
What plant family does Cryptantha ambigua belong to?
Cryptantha ambigua is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Cryptantha.
What habitat does Cryptantha ambigua grow in?
Cryptantha ambigua grows in Dry, sandy or gravelly areas in sagebrush scrub to open conifer forest, occasionally pinyon/juniper woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- 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
- Cryptantha clevelandii — Cleveland's 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.