Cryptantha excavata
Deep-scarred cryptantha
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1
Cryptantha excavata (Deep-scarred cryptantha) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by 15 co-occurring species. CNPS 1B.1. Key feature: horizontal nutlets with deep triangular cavity-like gap in attachment scar.
Deep-scarred cryptantha is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in southern North Coast Ranges Inland in steep, sandy, gravelly slopes and foothill woodland at elevations of 100 to 600 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces small white flowers with yellow appendages in tiny clusters. Growing 5 to 30 centimeters tall with branches sparingly distributed throughout its stem, it features strigose stems covered in appressed soft hairs. Its leaves are narrow and oblong, ranging from 0.6 to 3 centimeters long, with rough hairs and bristles that have distinctive bulbous bases. The fruit consists of lance-ovate nutlets 2 to 2.4 millimeters long with a deep, triangular attachment scar that creates a unique cavity-like impression.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 15 co-occurring species. CNPS 1B.1. Key feature: horizontal nutlets with deep triangular cavity-like gap in attachment scar.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Steep, sandy, gravelly slopes, soils, dry streambanks, eroding sandstone or shale, foothill woodland
Elevation: 100-600 m
Bloom period
Cryptantha excavata blooms Mar-May.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.1
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 excavata native to California?
Yes. Cryptantha excavata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cryptantha excavata bloom?
Cryptantha excavata blooms Mar-May.
What plant family does Cryptantha excavata belong to?
Cryptantha excavata is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Cryptantha.
Is Cryptantha excavata rare or endangered?
Cryptantha excavata carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.1, state rank S1.
What habitat does Cryptantha excavata grow in?
Cryptantha excavata grows in Steep, sandy, gravelly slopes, soils, dry streambanks, eroding sandstone or shale, foothill woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.