Scientific Name

Cryptantha sp. 2 - tiny flowers

Family

Boraginaceae

General

Small annual, with small, brilliant white flowers.  Several species of this genus occur in the Santa Monica Mountains, and they are difficult to distinguish.  There appear to be three species on CI habitats.

CI

This is one of two species with tiny white flowers.  Cryptantha sp. 2 was encountered abundantly along the top of the ridge above the Camarillo Park entrance area.  It’s flowers are concentrated in a head at the end of the stem.  It differs from Cryptantha sp. 3, which was found syntopically, in that the later has it’s flowers spaced out along a raceme.  It is likely this species is either  Cryptantha micromeres  (A. Gray) E. Greene or Cryptantha microstachys  (A. Gray) E. Greene.

References

The Jepson Manual (2012: 455, Cryptantha, by Ronald B. Kelley, Michael G. Simpson & Kristen E. Hasenstab-Lehman).

Dale (2000:  78).

McAuley (1996:  261).

cryptantha-sp2-11apr2013-1

Cryptantha sp. 2 on top of hill above Camarillo Park Entrance area, CI (11 April 2013).

cryptantha-sp2-11apr2013-6

Cryptantha sp. 2 on top of hill above Camarillo Park Entrance area, CI (11 April 2013).

cryptantha-sp2-15apr2013-30

Cryptantha sp. 2 on top of hill above Camarillo Park Entrance area, CI (15 April 2013).

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