Taxon Report

Oreocarya glomerata (Pursh) Greene

cocks-comb cat's-eye

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Oreocarya glomerata, commonly known as cocks-comb cat's-eye, is a perennial herb in the Boraginaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 1555 to 2160 meters. Oreocarya glomerata is ranked 2B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Oreocarya glomerata (Pursh) Greene
Common Name:	cocks-comb cat's-eye
Family:	Boraginaceae
Element Code:	PDBOR0A0F0
USDA Plants Symbol:	CRCE
Synonyms/Other Names:	Cryptantha celosioides (Eastw.) Payson

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Jul-Aug	Jul-Aug
Elevation:	1555-2160 (5100-7085)
General Habitats:	Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.3
Global Rank:	G5
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.3 to 2B.3 on 2013-06-12 added to 2.3 on 2009-08-03

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	8
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	6

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Modoc (MOD), Siskiyou (SIS)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Caldwell Butte (4112164), Canby (4112047), Cedarville (4112052), Eagle Peak (4112032), Eagleville (4112031), Warren Peak (4112042), Washington Mtn. (4112048)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	3
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	2	25 %
Erosion/runoff	1	12%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	12%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	12%

Notes




Threats:
Possibly threatened by foot traffic and erosion.
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Proposed Addition to CRPR 2.3, G5 / S1 (2009)

Non-Substantive Name Changes: Multiple taxa in various plant families from the Jepson eFlora revisions 8, 9, and 10

Oreocarya glomerata profile for potential Species of Conservation Concern evaluation (2018)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 24 October 2025].