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silky cryptantha

Scientific Name: Cryptantha sericea

Family: Boraginaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Subshrub, Forb/herb

Duration: Biennial, Perennial

Other Names:

       

Silky Cryptantha (Cryptantha crinita)

Cryptantha crinita, commonly known as silky cryptantha or Sacramento cryptantha, is a rare annual herb belonging to the borage family (Boraginaceae).

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Cryptantha crinita Greene
  • Family: Boraginaceae (Borage family)
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Taxonomic Rank: Species
  • Synonyms:
    • Cryptantha sericea (A. Gray) Payson - Note that Cryptantha sericea is considered a distinct species but shares the common name "silky cryptantha".
    • Element Code: PDBOR0A0Q0

Distribution and Habitat

  • Native to California and is endemic to this state.
  • Found in the foothill grasslands of eastern Tehama and southeastern Shasta counties.
  • Grows at elevations up to 1200 m (3937 ft) in dry habitats.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Dicot.
  • Annual herb.
  • The herbage is silky below and becomes bristly upward.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Found in the same habitats as plants such as California hibiscus (rose mallow), fox sedge, pointed broom sedge, Red-Bluff dwarf rush, and f-angled spikerush.

Further Information

  • ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System): TSN 31769 for Cryptantha crinita and TSN 31869 for Cryptantha sericea.
  • USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database.
  • Discover Life provides information on the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Cryptantha sericea.