Cryptantha milobakeri
Milo baker's cryptantha
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Cryptantha milobakeri (Milo baker's cryptantha) is a native California annual in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by . Key features: soft tufted calyx hairs, northwestern distribution, 1-2 flattened nutlets.
Milo baker's cryptantha is a California native annual found in northwestern California (excluding North Coast), the Cascade Range, and northern Sierra Nevada (Butte County) in rocky or gravelly soils of open conifer forest and chaparral at elevations of 120 to 1,750 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white or yellow-white flowers in small clusters. Growing with branching stems 10 to 50 centimeters tall, it features dense, rough hairs that cover both stems and leaves. Its narrow linear-oblong leaves, 0.5 to 3 centimeters long, are covered in ascending, bristly hairs that give the plant a distinctively textured appearance. The fruit consists of small, dark brown, lance-ovate nutlets with a shiny surface, typically 1.5 to 2 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 35 sympatric species. Key features: soft tufted calyx hairs, northwestern distribution, 1-2 flattened nutlets
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky or gravelly, generally non-serpentine soils, generally open conifer forest, chaparral
Elevation: 120-1750 m
California counties: Sierra, Siskiyou, Mendocino, Trinity, Lake, Tehama, Plumas, Butte, Del Norte, El Dorado, Shasta, Amador, Glenn, Colusa, Humboldt, Sonoma, Modoc
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Cryptantha milobakeri blooms Apr-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 milobakeri native to California?
Yes. Cryptantha milobakeri is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cryptantha milobakeri bloom?
Cryptantha milobakeri blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Cryptantha milobakeri grow?
Cryptantha milobakeri occurs in Sierra, Siskiyou, Mendocino, Trinity, Lake, Tehama, Plumas, Butte and other counties, at elevations of 120-1750 m.
What plant family does Cryptantha milobakeri belong to?
Cryptantha milobakeri is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Cryptantha.
What habitat does Cryptantha milobakeri grow in?
Cryptantha milobakeri grows in Rocky or gravelly, generally non-serpentine soils, generally open conifer forest, chaparral.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.