Oreocarya glomerata

Cocks-comb cat's-eye

Family: Boraginaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Cocks-comb cat's-eye is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native perennial found in volcanic landscapes at elevations of 1,550 to 1,920 meters on barren volcanic scree and talus slopes. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces white to off-white flowers with yellow appendages in dense, generally cylindric clusters. Growing 15 to 50 centimeters tall with multiple spreading stems that are densely covered in stiff, appressed bristles, particularly on the lower half of the plant. Its distinctive leaves include wide-spoon-shaped basal leaves that are thick, gray-green, and covered in dense, appressed bristles, with upper stem leaves becoming more elongated and sharp-bristly. The small nutlets are ovate, approximately 3.3 to 3.8 millimeters long, with irregular surface texturing and a narrow marginal rim.

Habitat: Barren volcanic scree, talus slopes

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 1550-1920 m

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.