Oreocarya flavoculata
Yellow-eyed oreocarya, Yellow-Eyed Cryptantha
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Oreocarya flavoculata (Yellow-eyed oreocarya) is a native California subshrub in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by rough nutlets and yellow appendages diagnostic.
Yellow-eyed oreocarya is a California native perennial found in the eastern Sierra Nevada and desert mountains on loose limestone-based soils at elevations of 1,200 to 3,200 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces flowers with a bright yellow corolla limb approximately 8 to 12 millimeters in diameter. Growing in dense clusters with multiple stems 5 to 35 centimeters tall, it forms a woody, branched caudex with strigose and bristly stems. Its basal leaves form rosettes 2 to 11 centimeters long, ranging from linear-oblanceolate to spoon-shaped and covered in dense, silky strigose hairs with bulbous-based bristles. The fruit consists of 2 to 4 brown nutlets that are ovate, 2.5 to 3.2 millimeters long, with a distinctively textured surface of dense sharp papillae and cross-ridges.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; rough nutlets and yellow appendages diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Loose limestone-based soils
Elevation: 1200-3200 m
California counties: Inyo, Mono, San Bernardino, Riverside, Lassen, Alpine
Outside California: to Idaho, Colorado
Bloom period
Oreocarya flavoculata blooms May-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Cryptantha: Cryptanthas are slender annuals with tiny inconspicuous white flowers; Oreocarya are stout perennials from a woody branched caudex with showier, densely clustered white or yellow flowers.; vs Hackelia: Stickseed nutlets bear hooked marginal prickles that cling to clothing; Oreocarya nutlets are smooth to roughened but lack hooked prickles.; vs Plagiobothrys: Popcornflowers are annuals of moist ground, often red-staining, in open coils; Oreocarya are harsh, bristly perennials forming cushions on dry rocky or desert sites.; vs Cynoglossum: Hound's-tongue is a tall, leafy-stemmed biennial with broad soft leaves and reddish-blue flowers; Oreocarya is low and cushion-like with narrow bristly leaves and white or yellow flowers.; vs Cryptantha: Beyond size, Oreocarya has persistent basal rosettes and a woody caudex, whereas Cryptantha germinates fresh each year with no woody base.
Frequently asked questions
Is Oreocarya flavoculata native to California?
Yes. Oreocarya flavoculata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Oreocarya flavoculata bloom?
Oreocarya flavoculata blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Oreocarya flavoculata grow?
Oreocarya flavoculata occurs in Inyo, Mono, San Bernardino, Riverside, Lassen, Alpine, at elevations of 1200-3200 m.
What plant family does Oreocarya flavoculata belong to?
Oreocarya flavoculata is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Oreocarya.
What habitat does Oreocarya flavoculata grow in?
Oreocarya flavoculata grows in Common. Loose limestone-based soils.
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.