Cryptantha micrantha Calflora

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Taxon Report

Cryptantha micrantha (Torr.) I. M. Johnst.

Purple root cryptantha, Purple rooted forget me not, Redroot cryptantha

Cryptantha micrantha is an annual herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.


	Plant Range Observation Search ~547 records in California Plant Characteristics

Bloom Period

Photos on Calflora


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

Communities: Coastal Sage Scrub, Creosote Bush Scrub, Yellow Pine Forest, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland

Name Status:
Accepted by PLANTS

Alternate Names:


POWO	Eremocarya micrantha

Information about Cryptantha micrantha from other sources


Nursery availability from CNPLX Commercial availability unknown. USDA PLANTS Profile (CRMI) Photos on Calflora Photos on CalPhotos Google Images Photos on iNaturalist ID Tips on PlantID.net	ITIS Original Publication citation International Plants Names Index Search efloras.org (Flora of North America) Landscape information from Calscape BONAP Distribution Map Consortium of California Herbaria 2 Search the Native American Ethnobotany Database	Add an Observation Location Suitability Planting Guide Distribution by County
[southwestdesertflora.com] Habitat, Range: Habitat Preferences: Desert flats, washes, sandy to fine-gravelly soils; Creosote bush communities; in California; Creosote Bush Scrub, Yellow Pine Forest, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland, Coastal Sage Scrub. Recorded Range: Redroot Cryptantha, is found mostly in the southwestern United States with spotty distribution; AZ, CA, NM, NV, OR, TX, UT. In AZ Redroot Cryptantha is scattered throughout the state. This species is also native to Baja California and northwest Mexico. (link added by Mary Ann Machi) photos / record / common / links

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: 04/02/2025).