Cryptantha recurvata
Curved-nut cryptantha
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Cryptantha recurvata (Curved-nut cryptantha) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by . Key features: distinctive incurved bent nutlets, downward-arched calyces, eastern CA deserts.
Curved-nut cryptantha is a California native annual found in the eastern Sierra Nevada and Mojave Desert bioregions in sandy to rocky soils of creosote-bush scrub and Joshua-tree woodland at elevations of 650 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces tiny white flowers less than 1.5 millimeters in diameter, emerging from delicate branching stems. Growing as a slender plant 5 to 40 centimeters tall with coarse-strigose branches spreading from the base, it has a distinctive sparse and wiry appearance. Its leaves are narrow and linear to oblanceolate, 1 to 3 centimeters long and covered with stiff, appressed bristles that have bulbous bases. The fruit consists of unique curved, lanceolate nutlets 1.6 to 2 millimeters long, which are brown, papillate-tubercled, and distinctively bent inward.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 28 sympatric species. Key features: distinctive incurved bent nutlets, downward-arched calyces, eastern CA deserts
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy to rocky soils, creosote-bush scrub, Joshua-tree woodland
Elevation: 650-1700(1830) m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono, Imperial, San Diego
Outside California: to Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, Arizona
Bloom period
Cryptantha recurvata 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 recurvata native to California?
Yes. Cryptantha recurvata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cryptantha recurvata bloom?
Cryptantha recurvata blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Cryptantha recurvata grow?
Cryptantha recurvata occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono, Imperial, San Diego, at elevations of 650-1700(1830) m.
What plant family does Cryptantha recurvata belong to?
Cryptantha recurvata is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Cryptantha.
What habitat does Cryptantha recurvata grow in?
Cryptantha recurvata grows in Sandy to rocky soils, creosote-bush scrub, Joshua-tree 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.