Cryptantha juniperensis
Rigid cryptantha
(c) Kyle Elshoff, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Cryptantha juniperensis (Rigid cryptantha) is a native California annual in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by . Key features: narrow grayish habit, stiff erect branches, juniper woodland association.
Rigid cryptantha is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, western San Joaquin Valley, Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, San Jacinto Mountains, western Mojave Desert, and Desert Mountains including the New York Mountains in sandy to gravelly soils and open woodland habitats at elevations of 80 to 2,380 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces pale yellow flowers in small, delicate clusters with corolla limbs 2 to 5 millimeters in diameter. Growing as a narrow, grayish plant 5 to 35 centimeters tall with erect branches that are sparsely covered in rough, spreading hairs, especially near the base. Its leaves are linear to oblanceolate, 0.5 to 3.5 centimeters long, densely covered in fine, appressed hairs with occasionally spreading rough margins. The fruit is a small, lance-ovate nutlet 1.7 to 2.1 millimeters long, densely papillate and coarsely tubercled with a rounded base and tapered tip.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 47 sympatric species. Key features: narrow grayish habit, stiff erect branches, juniper woodland association
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy, silty, loamy, to gravelly soils, generally open slopes, often California juniper woodland, foothill woodland, pinyon/juniper woodland, open chaparral, sparse grasslands
Elevation: 80-2380 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Kern, San Benito, Alameda, Santa Barbara, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Ventura, Inyo, San Luis Obispo, Tuolumne, Contra Costa, Monterey, Merced, Imperial, San Diego, Riverside, Tulare, Kings, Fresno
Outside California: to southern Utah, New Mexico, Baja California
Bloom period
Cryptantha juniperensis blooms Mar-Jul.
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 juniperensis native to California?
Yes. Cryptantha juniperensis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cryptantha juniperensis bloom?
Cryptantha juniperensis blooms Mar-Jul.
Where in California does Cryptantha juniperensis grow?
Cryptantha juniperensis occurs in San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Kern, San Benito, Alameda, Santa Barbara, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and other counties, at elevations of 80-2380 m.
What plant family does Cryptantha juniperensis belong to?
Cryptantha juniperensis is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Cryptantha.
What habitat does Cryptantha juniperensis grow in?
Cryptantha juniperensis grows in Sandy, silty, loamy, to gravelly soils, generally open slopes, often California juniper woodland, foothill woodland, pinyon/juniper woodland, open chaparral, sparse grasslands.
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.