Cryptantha barbigera
Bearded cryptantha
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Cryptantha barbigera (Bearded cryptantha) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family.
Bearded cryptantha is a California native annual herb found in foothill and mountain regions at moderate elevations. Flowering from spring to summer, this plant produces small white flowers with delicate, bristly inflorescences in clusters of one to three. Growing 15 to 50 centimeters tall with erect, stout stems covered in dense white hairs and spreading coarse bristles, it develops an intricate branching structure. Its leaves are oblong to blunt-lanceolate, densely covered with spreading bristles that have tiny bulbous bases, giving the plant a distinctively hairy appearance. The fruit consists of ovate nutlets with coarse elongated tubercles, creating a textured surface that ranges from brown to mottled in coloration.
Habitat and range
California counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Tulare, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Orange, Fresno, Mono, Ventura, San Benito
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 barbigera native to California?
Yes. Cryptantha barbigera is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Cryptantha barbigera grow?
Cryptantha barbigera occurs in Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Tulare, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Santa Barbara and other counties.
What plant family does Cryptantha barbigera belong to?
Cryptantha barbigera is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Cryptantha.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- 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
- Cryptantha clevelandii var. 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.