Cryptantha clevelandii
Cleveland's cryptantha
(c) Cricket Raspet, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Cryptantha clevelandii (Cleveland's cryptantha) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family.
Cleveland's cryptantha is a California native annual herb found in coastal scrub and grassland with loamy soils, primarily in lower elevation areas ranging from 50 to 150 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces small white flowers in delicate, sparse cymes. Growing 10 to 50 centimeters tall with slender, erect stems branching throughout and covered in strigose hairs, it has a distinctive appearance of spreading, ascending branches. Its leaves are sparse and linear to linear-lanceolate, measuring 1 to 4 centimeters long, with fine bristly margins and soft appressed hairs. The fruit consists of small, lance-ovate nutlets approximately 1.5 to 2 millimeters long, often mottled and slightly shiny.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Loamy soils, slopes, grassland, coastal scrub
Elevation: 50-150(230) m
California counties: San Diego, Riverside, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Orange, Los Angeles, Napa, San Bernardino, Santa Cruz, Kern, Lake, Santa Clara, Calaveras, San Mateo, Stanislaus, Alameda, San Francisco, Mendocino, Contra Costa, San Benito, Marin, Sacramento, Fresno, Sonoma, Merced, Colusa
Outside California: Baja California
Bloom period
Cryptantha clevelandii blooms Mar-May.
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 clevelandii native to California?
Yes. Cryptantha clevelandii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cryptantha clevelandii bloom?
Cryptantha clevelandii blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Cryptantha clevelandii grow?
Cryptantha clevelandii occurs in San Diego, Riverside, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Orange, Los Angeles and other counties, at elevations of 50-150(230) m.
What plant family does Cryptantha clevelandii belong to?
Cryptantha clevelandii is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Cryptantha.
What habitat does Cryptantha clevelandii grow in?
Cryptantha clevelandii grows in Loamy soils, slopes, grassland, coastal scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.