Cryptantha clevelandii E. Greene      =Cryptantha clevelandii var. clevelandii   Boraginaceae (Borage Family)   Native   Cleveland's Cryptantha

                                              April Photo 

Plant Characteristics:  Annual, stems erect or sometimes decumbent, 1-5 dm. high, usually with several elongated ascending or spreading branches, hispidulous with appressed or ascending hairs; lvs. usually dense at base, sparsely scattered above and on the branches, linear to linear-lanceolate, mostly acutish, rather thinly appressed-hispidulous and usually with a few stouter bristles on margins; spikes solitary at the ends of the branches or in two or threes, 4-10 cm. long, slender, bractless with 1 or 2 bracts at base; corolla white, about 1 mm. broad; fruiting calyx 5-parted, ovoid-oblong, 2-3 mm. long; mature calyx lobes linear or narrowly linear-lanceolate, connivent above with the tips spreading, outer ones conspicuously hispid on the thickened midribs, all the lobes densely whitish appressed-hirsutulous; nutlets 1-4, ovate-oblong to broadly lanceolate, smooth and shining, low-rounded on the back, groove closed, broadly forked at base or rarely with a small areola; style about two-thirds to as long as nutlets or slightly surpassing them.

Habitat:  Slopes and rocky places, below 2500 ft.; Coastal Sage Scrub, Coastal Strand, Chaparral; coastal s. Calif. from Ventura Co. s., Santa Barbara Ids., Santa Catalina Id. San Clemente Id.; L. Calif.  April-June.

Name:  Greek, cryptos, hidden, and anthos, flower, because of the minute corolla in the first known spp.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 250).  Clevelandii, possibly in honor of Grover Cleveland, 1837-1908, twice president of the United States, 1885-1889 and 1893-1897.  The only president to serve in this manner.  (my comments).

General:  Cryptantha clevelandii var. clevelandii and var. florosa  have been combined in the 1993 Jepson Manual.  I had identified both varieties prior to the publication of the Jepson Manual and keep them separate in my data sheets but combine them here in the web site.  Variety clevelandii is rare in the study area, found in only one small area and this is just behind the bluff top southerly of San Joaquin Hills Rd.; this area was graded for houses about 1997 and I fear the colony of plants is gone.  Variety florosa is occasional in the study area but occurs in large colonies where it is found.  (my comments).      About 65 spp. of New World, mostly of w. N. Am., some in southwest S. Am.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 250).      

Text Ref:  Abrams, Vol. III 594; Hickman, Ed. 373; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 253.

Photo Ref:  April-May 92 #5,6,7.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by John Johnson.  

First Found:  March 1983 for var. florosa and April 1992 for var. clevelandii.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 430.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 5/17/05.  

                             March Photo                                                                March Photo