Pectocarya platycarpa
Wide-toothed pectocarya, Wide-Toothed Pectocarya
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Pectocarya platycarpa (Wide-toothed pectocarya) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by broad, fused-base marginal teeth.
Wide-toothed pectocarya is a California native annual found in southwestern, western and inner coast ranges, and desert bioregions in washes, roadsides in creosote-bush scrub, and Joshua-tree woodland at elevations below 1,600 meters. Flowering from February to May, this plant produces white flowers in delicate, narrow clusters. Growing with ascending to erect stems 4 to 25 centimeters tall, it develops distinctive linear to spoon-shaped nutlets with margins where teeth are fused at the base. Its leaves are small and sparse, supporting the plant's slender profile in arid landscapes. The nutlets, measuring 2.5 to 4.5 millimeters long, are slightly recurved and create a unique structural pattern along the stem.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; diagnostic broad, fused-base marginal teeth
Habitat and range
Habitat: Washes, roadsides in creosote-bush scrub, Joshua-tree woodland
Elevation: < 1600 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo, San Diego, Kern, Imperial, Los Angeles, San Benito
Outside California: to southwestern Utah, western Texas, Baja California
Bloom period
Pectocarya platycarpa blooms Feb-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Plagiobothrys: Pectocarya sepals stay equal and separate; Plagiobothrys sepals become unequal or partly fused in fruit.; vs Cryptantha: Pectocarya nutlets have hooked bristles on edges; Cryptantha nutlets are smooth or rough, not hooked.; vs Harpagonella: Pectocarya has 4 nutlets with equal sepals; Harpagonella has 2 nutlets with huge arching spiny sepals.; vs Johnstonella: Pectocarya has flattened nutlets with marginal hooks; Johnstonella has rounded nutlets with covering bristles.; vs Greeneocharis: Pectocarya has hooked marginal bristles; Greeneocharis has smooth or minutely rough nutlets without hooks.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pectocarya platycarpa native to California?
Yes. Pectocarya platycarpa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Pectocarya platycarpa bloom?
Pectocarya platycarpa blooms Feb-May.
Where in California does Pectocarya platycarpa grow?
Pectocarya platycarpa occurs in San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo, San Diego, Kern, Imperial, Los Angeles, San Benito, at elevations of < 1600 m.
What plant family does Pectocarya platycarpa belong to?
Pectocarya platycarpa is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Pectocarya.
What habitat does Pectocarya platycarpa grow in?
Pectocarya platycarpa grows in Washes, roadsides in creosote-bush scrub, Joshua-tree woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Pectocarya recurvata — Arched-nut pectocarya
- Pectocarya setosa — Round-nut pectocarya
- Pectocarya sp. — Pectocarya
- Pectocarya anisocarpa — Unequal-fruited pectocarya
- Pectocarya heterocarpa — Mixed-nut pectocarya
- Pectocarya linearis subsp. ferocula — Narrow-toothed pectocarya
- Plagiobothrys acanthocarpus — Adobe popcornflower
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.