Cryptantha leiocarpa
Beach cryptantha, Beach Cryptantha
(c) Aaron Liston, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Cryptantha leiocarpa (Beach cryptantha) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by . Key features: coastal habitat restriction, mat-forming habit, smooth shiny seeds.
Beach cryptantha is a California native annual found in coastal bioregions including North Coast, Central Coast, and Southern Coast in sandy soils and coastal dunes at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from March to August, this plant produces pale yellow flowers with small limbs 1 to 2.5 millimeters in diameter. Growing as a low-spreading plant 5 to 20 centimeters tall, it forms dense mat-like clusters with many branching stems that become decumbent or prostrate. Its linear to narrow oblanceolate leaves are 1 to 3.5 centimeters long, covered with strigose or bristly hairs that include some bulbous-based bristles. The fruit consists of 3 to 4 narrow-ovate nutlets approximately 1.6 to 2 millimeters long, typically mottled pale gray with brown and featuring smooth, shiny surfaces.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 22 sympatric species. Key features: coastal habitat restriction, mat-forming habit, smooth shiny seeds
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy soils, coastal dunes, beaches
Elevation: < 100(250) m
California counties: Humboldt, Sacramento, Sonoma, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, San Benito, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Del Norte, Orange, Santa Cruz, Mendocino, Los Angeles, Marin, Alameda, Lake, Ventura, Sierra, San Mateo
Outside California: coastal southern Oregon
Bloom period
Cryptantha leiocarpa blooms Mar-Aug.
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 leiocarpa native to California?
Yes. Cryptantha leiocarpa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cryptantha leiocarpa bloom?
Cryptantha leiocarpa blooms Mar-Aug.
Where in California does Cryptantha leiocarpa grow?
Cryptantha leiocarpa occurs in Humboldt, Sacramento, Sonoma, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, San Benito, Santa Barbara, San Francisco and other counties, at elevations of < 100(250) m.
What plant family does Cryptantha leiocarpa belong to?
Cryptantha leiocarpa is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Cryptantha.
What habitat does Cryptantha leiocarpa grow in?
Cryptantha leiocarpa grows in Sandy soils, coastal dunes, beaches.
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.