Oreocarya schoolcraftii
Schoolcraft's oreocarya
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jim Morefield · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2
Oreocarya schoolcraftii (Schoolcraft's oreocarya) is a native California perennial in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by ash habitat and non-woody caudex diagnostic.
Schoolcraft's oreocarya is a rare California native perennial ranked 2B.2 by CNPS, found in the eastern Modoc Plateau in Coppersmith Hills, Lassen County, growing on barren ash deposits and sagebrush scrub at elevations of 1,700 to 1,750 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces small yellow-limbed flowers with delicate white appendages in dense, head-like clusters. Growing in compact clusters with multiple stems 6 to 25 centimeters tall, it develops grayish stems covered in spreading bristles and a non-woody, unbranched caudex. Its basal rosette leaves are thick, spoon-shaped, and densely covered in gray, appressed bristles with bulbous bases measuring 1.5 to 4 centimeters long. The plant produces 2 to 4 small, lanceolate nutlets that are grayish and slightly shiny, with rounded margins and smooth to slightly roughened surfaces.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; ash habitat and non-woody caudex diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Barren ash deposits, sagebrush scrub
Elevation: 1700-1750 m
Outside California: to southeastern Oregon, northwestern Nevada
Bloom period
Oreocarya schoolcraftii blooms Jun-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.2
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 schoolcraftii native to California?
Yes. Oreocarya schoolcraftii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Oreocarya schoolcraftii bloom?
Oreocarya schoolcraftii blooms Jun-Jul.
What plant family does Oreocarya schoolcraftii belong to?
Oreocarya schoolcraftii is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Oreocarya.
Is Oreocarya schoolcraftii rare or endangered?
Oreocarya schoolcraftii carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.2, state rank S1.
What habitat does Oreocarya schoolcraftii grow in?
Oreocarya schoolcraftii grows in Barren ash deposits, sagebrush scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.