Oreocarya sobolifera
Creeping oreocarya
(c) Mark Pollock, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Mark Pollock · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Oreocarya sobolifera (Creeping oreocarya) is a native California subshrub in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by shale habitat diagnostic, limited data.
Creeping oreocarya is a California native perennial found in shale habitats at elevations of 1,500 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces white flowers in small head-like clusters with a corolla limb 6 to 8 millimeters in diameter. Growing with many-branched stems 10 to 18 centimeters tall, it develops dense silky-strigose foliage. Its basal rosettes feature distinctive gray, oblanceolate leaves 1.5 to 4 centimeters long, covered in appressed bristles. The plant produces four small nutlets 2 to 3.5 millimeters long with lanceolate-ovate shapes and narrow marginal rims.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; shale habitat diagnostic, limited data
Habitat and range
Habitat: Shale
Elevation: 1500-3500 m
Outside California: Oregon, Montana
Bloom period
Oreocarya sobolifera blooms Jul-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 sobolifera native to California?
Yes. Oreocarya sobolifera is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Oreocarya sobolifera bloom?
Oreocarya sobolifera blooms Jul-Aug.
What plant family does Oreocarya sobolifera belong to?
Oreocarya sobolifera is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Oreocarya.
What habitat does Oreocarya sobolifera grow in?
Oreocarya sobolifera grows in Shale.
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.