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Taxon  Report  
Cryptantha affinis  (A. Gray) Greene
Common cryptantha,   Quill cryptantha,   Side grooved cryptantha
Cryptantha affinis is an annual herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
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
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Bloom Period
Genus: Cryptantha
Family: Boraginaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Habitat: slopes

Communities: Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Lodgepole Forest

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS + POWO

Alternate Names:
OTHERCryptantha geminata
Information about  Cryptantha affinis from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (CRAF)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Range, Toxicity, Ecology: Distribution Cryptantha affinis is native to California. Its distribution is from the Klamath, North coast, and Cascade Mountain Ranges. It also occurs in the Sierra Nevada, San Bernardino, and Warner Mountains and as far as Washington to Wyoming.[2] Most plants appear to be toxic due to their high levels of alkaloids and nitrates. Ecology Cryptantha affinis physiology appears to be influenced by nutrients of deer excretions. Increased photosynthesis and higher plant nitrogen levels have been observed in habitats frequented by mule deer, antelope, and elk. Higher nutrients appear to increase growth and reproduction in wet years. In dry years survival is increased by the shading of Cryptantha by the presence of large shrubs. Although shading increases survival in dry years, in wet years growth and reproduction seem to be reduced even when nutrient levels in the soil are high.[3] Cryptantha species are dominant annuals in a wide range of habitats.[4] In habitats where Cryptantha is a dominant species, fire intensity reduces its density.[5] (link added 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]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 07/19/2025).