Kingdom Plantae Family Orobanchaceae Scientific name Triphysaria pusilla | Order Lamiales Genus Triphysaria Rank Species | |
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Similar Triphysaria, Triphysaria eriantha, Triphysaria versicolor, Orthocarpus, Castilleja exserta | ||
Triphysaria pusilla is a species of flowering plant in the broomrape family known by the common name dwarf owl's-clover.
The plant is native to the west coast of North America from British Columbia to central California from the California Coast Ranges across to the Sierra Nevada. It grows in moist open habitat such as spring-fed grasslands.
Description
Triphysaria pusilla is an annual herb producing a hairy brownish or purple-colored, multibranched stem up to about 20 centimeters in maximum height. Like many species in its family, it is a facultative root parasite on other plants, attaching to their roots via haustoria to tap nutrients.
Its greenish, red or purple leaves are up to 3 centimeters long and are divided into a few narrow, pointed lobes.
The inflorescence is a spike of flowers. Each flower has a beaklike yellow or purple upper lip and a wider lower lip which is divided into three tiny yellow or purple pouches.