Cryptantha barbigera var. barbigera

Bearded cryptantha

Family: Boraginaceae · Type: annual · Native

Bearded cryptantha is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, southern San Joaquin Valley, southern Sierra Nevada eastern edge, and desert regions in open, sandy to rocky soils within creosote-bush scrub and desert woodland at elevations of 15 to 1,860 meters. Flowering from February to June, this plant produces small white flowers with delicate corollas 1 to 2.5 millimeters in diameter. Growing with slender stems 10 to 20 centimeters tall, it forms compact clusters in arid landscapes. Its leaves are narrow and sparse, ranging from 1 to 5 centimeters long, with distinctive soft-bristled margins that give the plant its "bearded" character. The fruit consists of small lance-ovate nutlets 1.5 to 2 millimeters long with acute tips.

Habitat: Open, sandy to rocky soils, generally in creosote-bush scrub, desert woodland

Bloom period: Feb-Jun

Elevation: 15-1860(2250) m

Bioregions: s SN, Teh, s SnJV, s SNE, D

California counties: Kern, San Bernardino, Inyo, Riverside, Imperial, Los Angeles, San Diego

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.