Oreocarya nubigena
Sierra oreocarya
(c) Martin Purdy, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Oreocarya nubigena (Sierra oreocarya) is a native California subshrub in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by location diagnostic.
Sierra oreocarya is a California native perennial found in central Sierra Nevada, northeastern Sierra Nevada, and White and Inyo Mountains on alpine slopes, ridges, and gravelly areas at elevations of 2,600 to 3,900 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces white to yellow flowers with delicate yellow corolla appendages. Growing with several elongate stems 3 to 30 centimeters tall, it forms tufted clusters with a woody, branched caudex. Its basal leaves are narrow oblanceolate to spoon-shaped, 2 to 5 centimeters long, covered in strigose hairs and sparse soft bristles that are often bulbous at the base. The fruit consists of 2 to 4 shiny nutlets, 2.2 to 4.5 millimeters long, with irregularly wrinkled surfaces.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; location diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Slopes, ridges, gravel, scree, talus, occasionally dry meadows, open pine forest
Elevation: (2400)2600-3900+ m
California counties: Inyo, Fresno, Tulare, Mono, San Bernardino, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Madera
Outside California: western Nevada
Bloom period
Oreocarya nubigena blooms Jun-Sep.
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 nubigena native to California?
Yes. Oreocarya nubigena is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Oreocarya nubigena bloom?
Oreocarya nubigena blooms Jun-Sep.
Where in California does Oreocarya nubigena grow?
Oreocarya nubigena occurs in Inyo, Fresno, Tulare, Mono, San Bernardino, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Madera, at elevations of (2400)2600-3900+ m.
What plant family does Oreocarya nubigena belong to?
Oreocarya nubigena is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Oreocarya.
What habitat does Oreocarya nubigena grow in?
Oreocarya nubigena grows in Slopes, ridges, gravel, scree, talus, occasionally dry meadows, open pine forest.
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.