Johnstonella costata
Ribbed johnstonella, Ribbed Cryptantha
(c) Katie Pearson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Johnstonella costata (Ribbed johnstonella) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by ribbed/dome-shaped seeds and fine sand habitat diagnostic.
Ribbed johnstonella is a native annual found in eastern Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert regions in creosote-bush scrub on fine sand deposits at elevations below 600 meters. Flowering from January to May, this plant produces pale yellow flowers with small corolla appendages in dense inflorescences. Growing 10 to 20 centimeters tall with few stiff branches, it has a distinctive red-purple root and dense strigose stems covered in spreading bristly hairs. Its linear to lanceolate leaves are 1 to 3 centimeters long, slightly folded along the midvein and covered in rough, bulbous-based hairs. The fruit consists of 3 to 4 shiny brown nutlets, with one nutlet typically larger than the others, featuring a distinctive dome-like convex surface.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 4 sympatric species; ribbed/dome-shaped seeds and fine sand habitat diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Fine sand deposits (coarser soils), creosote-bush scrub
Elevation: < 600(1000) m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, San Diego, Imperial, Riverside, Tulare
Outside California: southern Nevada, Arizona, Baja California
Bloom period
Johnstonella costata blooms Jan-May.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
Frequently asked questions
Is Johnstonella costata native to California?
Yes. Johnstonella costata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Johnstonella costata bloom?
Johnstonella costata blooms Jan-May.
Where in California does Johnstonella costata grow?
Johnstonella costata occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, San Diego, Imperial, Riverside, Tulare, at elevations of < 600(1000) m.
What plant family does Johnstonella costata belong to?
Johnstonella costata is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Johnstonella.
Is Johnstonella costata rare or endangered?
Johnstonella costata carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S4.
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.