Cryptantha scoparia
Snake river cryptantha
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Cryptantha scoparia (Snake river cryptantha) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by NONE sympatric - geographically isolated. Key features: high elevation northeastern CA, gray slender habit.
Snake river cryptantha is a California native annual found in northeastern Sierra Nevada, western and Inyo Mountains, and northeastern Mojave Desert in sandy, gravelly soils of sagebrush scrub and pinyon-pine woodland at elevations of 1,480 to 2,740 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces small white flowers in delicate, elongating cymes. Growing with slender, stiff stems 5 to 30 centimeters tall that are densely gray and strigose, it appears as a fine, erect plant with multiple branching throughout. Its leaves are linear to lance-linear, 1 to 4 centimeters long, covered in minute strigose hairs with bulbous bases. The fruit consists of four nutlets, each 1.6 to 2.1 millimeters long, mottled gray-brown with angled margins and tapered tips.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: NONE sympatric - geographically isolated. Key features: high elevation northeastern CA, gray slender habit
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy, gravelly soils, open slopes, flats, generally sagebrush scrub, pinyon-pine woodland, occasionally Joshua-tree woodland
Elevation: 1480-2740 m
Outside California: to Washington, Idaho, Utah
Bloom period
Cryptantha scoparia blooms Apr-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
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 scoparia native to California?
Yes. Cryptantha scoparia is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cryptantha scoparia bloom?
Cryptantha scoparia blooms Apr-Jul.
What plant family does Cryptantha scoparia belong to?
Cryptantha scoparia is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Cryptantha.
Is Cryptantha scoparia rare or endangered?
Cryptantha scoparia carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S4.
What habitat does Cryptantha scoparia grow in?
Cryptantha scoparia grows in Sandy, gravelly soils, open slopes, flats, generally sagebrush scrub, pinyon-pine woodland, occasionally Joshua-tree woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.