Oreocarya humilis subsp. humilis
Low oreocarya, Low Cryptantha
(c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Oreocarya humilis subsp. humilis (Low oreocarya) is a native California perennial in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by cream flowers and elongated pedicels diagnostic.
Low oreocarya is a rare California native perennial found in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, Great Basin, and northern Desert Mountains in gravelly sagebrush to subalpine habitats at elevations of 1,700 to 3,600 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces cream-colored flowers that age to brown, with yellow appendages in dense cylindric clusters. Growing in clustered clumps with multiple erect green stems 5 to 30 centimeters tall, it forms a woody, branched caudex. Its basal leaves are spoon-shaped to oblanceolate, 1.5 to 6 centimeters long, ranging from green to gray-green and covered in stiff, appressed bristles. The plant produces 2 to 4 small nutlets that are ovate, finely grainy, and dull with a narrow flat margin.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 8 sympatric species; cream flowers and elongated pedicels diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Gravelly soils, sagebrush to subalpine
Elevation: 1700-3600 m
California counties: Alpine, Mono, Inyo, Lassen, Tuolumne, Placer, Nevada, Fresno, Modoc, El Dorado, Ventura, Sierra
Outside California: to Oregon, Idaho, western Colorado
Bloom period
Oreocarya humilis subsp. humilis blooms May-Aug.
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 humilis subsp. humilis native to California?
Yes. Oreocarya humilis subsp. humilis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Oreocarya humilis subsp. humilis bloom?
Oreocarya humilis subsp. humilis blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Oreocarya humilis subsp. humilis grow?
Oreocarya humilis subsp. humilis occurs in Alpine, Mono, Inyo, Lassen, Tuolumne, Placer, Nevada, Fresno and other counties, at elevations of 1700-3600 m.
What plant family does Oreocarya humilis subsp. humilis belong to?
Oreocarya humilis subsp. humilis is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Oreocarya.
What habitat does Oreocarya humilis subsp. humilis grow in?
Oreocarya humilis subsp. humilis grows in Common. Gravelly soils, sagebrush to subalpine.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.