Pectocarya recurvata
Arched-nut pectocarya
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Pectocarya recurvata (Arched-nut pectocarya) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by coiled to recurved nutlets.
Arched-nut pectocarya is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada, northern Transverse Ranges, White and Inyo Mountains, and desert regions in creosote-bush scrub and Joshua-tree woodland at elevations of 10 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from February to May, this plant produces small white flowers in delicate, narrow clusters. Growing with ascending to erect stems 5 to 20 centimeters tall, it appears delicate and wispy in its desert and rocky habitats. Its leaves are narrow and sparse, adapting to the arid environments where it typically grows near rock shelters or at the bases of shrubs. The plant's distinctive fruit consists of tiny, linear nutlets that curl or curve distinctively, creating intricate shapes among its slender stems.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; diagnostic coiled to recurved nutlets
Habitat and range
Habitat: Shelter of rocks, bases of shrubs, occasionally roadsides, creosote-bush scrub, Joshua-tree woodland
Elevation: 10-1600 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, San Diego, Riverside, Imperial, Los Angeles, Kern
Outside California: to southern Utah, southwestern New Mexico, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Pectocarya recurvata 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 recurvata native to California?
Yes. Pectocarya recurvata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Pectocarya recurvata bloom?
Pectocarya recurvata blooms Feb-May.
Where in California does Pectocarya recurvata grow?
Pectocarya recurvata occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, San Diego, Riverside, Imperial, Los Angeles, Kern, at elevations of 10-1600 m.
What plant family does Pectocarya recurvata belong to?
Pectocarya recurvata is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Pectocarya.
What habitat does Pectocarya recurvata grow in?
Pectocarya recurvata grows in Shelter of rocks, bases of shrubs, occasionally roadsides, creosote-bush scrub, Joshua-tree woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- 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
- Pectocarya penicillata — Northern pectocarya
- Plagiobothrys acanthocarpus — Adobe popcornflower
- Plagiobothrys arizonicus — Arizona 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.