Cryptantha gracilis
Slender cryptantha, Slender Cryptantha
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Cryptantha gracilis (Slender cryptantha) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by 28 co-occurring species. Key features: soft tufted hairs only (no bristles), non-thickened obscured calyx midveins, 3-sided nutlets.
Slender cryptantha is a California native annual found in the eastern Sierra Nevada and eastern Mojave Desert in sandy to rocky soils, dry slopes, mixed desert scrub, Joshua-tree woodland, and pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations of 730 to 2,400 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces small white flowers with yellow appendages in dense cymes up to 2 centimeters wide. Growing with slender erect stems 10 to 35 centimeters tall, the plant has spreading rough-hairy branches that are decumbent to erect. Its leaves are 1 to 3.5 centimeters long, linear to narrow-oblanceolate, and densely covered with bristly hairs. The fruit consists of smooth, shiny, lance-ovate nutlets 1.7 to 2.1 millimeters long, typically with a single well-developed nutlet per flower.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 28 co-occurring species. Key features: soft tufted hairs only (no bristles), non-thickened obscured calyx midveins, 3-sided nutlets.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy to rocky soils, dry slopes, mixed desert scrub, Joshua-tree woodland, and pinyon/juniper woodland
Elevation: 730-2400 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono, Riverside, Lassen
Outside California: to eastern Washington, southern Idaho, western Colorado, northern Arizona
Bloom period
Cryptantha gracilis blooms Mar-Jun.
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 gracilis native to California?
Yes. Cryptantha gracilis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cryptantha gracilis bloom?
Cryptantha gracilis blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Cryptantha gracilis grow?
Cryptantha gracilis occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono, Riverside, Lassen, at elevations of 730-2400 m.
What plant family does Cryptantha gracilis belong to?
Cryptantha gracilis is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Cryptantha.
What habitat does Cryptantha gracilis grow in?
Cryptantha gracilis grows in Sandy to rocky soils, dry slopes, mixed desert scrub, Joshua-tree woodland, and 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 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.