Oreocarya tumulosa
New york mountains oreocarya, New York Mountains Cryptantha
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Oreocarya tumulosa (New york mountains oreocarya) is a native California subshrub in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by dense yellow tomentum diagnostic.
New york mountains oreocarya is a rare (CNPS 4.3) California native perennial found in eastern Mojave Desert and northern and eastern Parapeak Mountains in limestone and pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations of 1,400 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces pale yellow flowers in dense, narrow cylindric clusters with soft yellow bristles. Growing with multiple stems 7 to 25 centimeters tall, it forms dense, woody, branched caudexes covered in spreading yellow-tinted tomentose hairs. Its basal leaves form multiple rosettes 3 to 6 centimeters long, thick and oblanceolate, with a distinctive gray color and dense silky texture covered in appressed bristles. The fruit consists of 1 to 3 wide-ovate nutlets 3 to 4 millimeters long, with a dull gray surface and sharp-angled margins.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; dense yellow tomentum diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Limestone, occasionally granitic gravel or clay soils, generally pinyon/juniper woodland
Elevation: 1400-2100 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo
Outside California: southwestern Nevada (Spring, Charleston mountains)
Bloom period
Oreocarya tumulosa blooms Apr-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
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 tumulosa native to California?
Yes. Oreocarya tumulosa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Oreocarya tumulosa bloom?
Oreocarya tumulosa blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Oreocarya tumulosa grow?
Oreocarya tumulosa occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, at elevations of 1400-2100 m.
What plant family does Oreocarya tumulosa belong to?
Oreocarya tumulosa is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Oreocarya.
Is Oreocarya tumulosa rare or endangered?
Oreocarya tumulosa carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S4.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Oreocarya virginensis — Virgin river oreocarya
- Oreocarya abortiva — Bow-nut oreocarya
- Oreocarya confertiflora — Yellow-flowered oreocarya
- Oreocarya crymophila — Subalpine oreocarya
- Oreocarya flavoculata — Yellow-eyed oreocarya
- Oreocarya glomerata — Cocks-comb cat's-eye
- Pectocarya anisocarpa — Unequal-fruited pectocarya
- Pectocarya heterocarpa — Mixed-nut pectocarya
- Pectocarya linearis subsp. ferocula — Narrow-toothed pectocarya
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.