Cryptantha cycloptera
Tucson cryptantha
(c) Madeleine Claire, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Cryptantha cycloptera (Tucson cryptantha) is a native California annual in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by . Key features: large winged nutlets 2.3-3.4mm, wings continuous at tip and base, yellow-green stout habit.
Tucson cryptantha is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada and desert bioregions in gravelly to rocky soils, slopes, and washes at elevations below 1,400 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces pale yellow flowers in small clusters with minute appendages. Growing 10 to 40 centimeters tall with stout, yellow-green stems and occasional branches, it develops sparse, strigose hairs throughout. Its linear to oblanceolate leaves are 1 to 2.5 centimeters long, with hairs often spreading along leaf margins and originating from bulbous bases. The fruit consists of 3 to 4 nutlets with wide marginal wings that are continuous at the tip and base.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 37 sympatric species. Key features: large winged nutlets 2.3-3.4mm, wings continuous at tip and base, yellow-green stout habit
Habitat and range
Habitat: Gravelly to rocky soils, slopes, washes, often limestone-based, generally creosote-bush scrub, desert woodland, occasionally pinyon/juniper woodland
Elevation: < 1400 m
California counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Inyo, Imperial, Kern, San Diego
Outside California: to southern Utah, Arizona, western Texas, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Cryptantha cycloptera 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 cycloptera native to California?
Yes. Cryptantha cycloptera is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cryptantha cycloptera bloom?
Cryptantha cycloptera blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Cryptantha cycloptera grow?
Cryptantha cycloptera occurs in Riverside, San Bernardino, Inyo, Imperial, Kern, San Diego, at elevations of < 1400 m.
What plant family does Cryptantha cycloptera belong to?
Cryptantha cycloptera is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Cryptantha.
What habitat does Cryptantha cycloptera grow in?
Cryptantha cycloptera grows in Gravelly to rocky soils, slopes, washes, often limestone-based, generally creosote-bush scrub, desert woodland, occasionally pinyon/juniper woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.