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Taxon  Report  
Cryptantha crinita  Greene
Sacramento cryptantha,   Silky cryptantha
Cryptantha crinita is an annual herb that is native to California, and endemic (limited) to California.
California Rare Plant Rank: 1B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere).
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Observation Search
~86 records in California
yellowone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Genus: Cryptantha
Family: Boraginaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands: Occurs usually in non wetlands, occasionally in wetlands

Habitat: riparian

Communities: Yellow Pine Forest, Foothill Woodland, Valley Grassland

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + CNPS + PLANTS

Information about  Cryptantha crinita from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (CRCR4)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Rarity, Range, Description, Habitat: Cryptantha crinita is a rare species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names Sacramento cryptantha and silky cryptantha. It is endemic to California in the United States, where it occurs in the northern Sacramento Valley and the adjacent edges of the Cascade Range foothills.[1] This annual herb grows up to 30 or 40 centimeters in height. The branching stem and leaves are covered in hairs. The lance-shaped to oblong leaves are 1 to 3 centimeters in length. The inflorescence is a dense, coiled cyme of several flowers with soft-hairy sepals and white corollas.[2] Blooming occurs in April and May.[3] This plant grows in riparian habitat along ephemeral creeks in the northern Sacramento Valley. Recent observations indicate that it sometimes occurs in the foothills on the edges of the Cascade Mountains as well. This habitat is chaparral and woodland on volcanic soils. The recent observations have extended the plant's known distribution and show that it grows at higher elevations than previously thought. It is still considered a rare species.[1] Threats to the survival of the species include gravel mining, off-road vehicle use, grazing, and development.[3][4] Introduced species of plants in the area are also a threat, including red brome (Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens), yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis), and medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae).[1] (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 03/29/2024).