''Orthocarpus imbricatus'' is a species of flowering plant in the
broomrape family known by the common name mountain owl's-clover. It is native to western North America from
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
to northern
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, where it grows in meadows and other mountain habitat.
Description
It is an annual herb producing a slender, hairy green stem up to about 35 centimeters tall. The lance-shaped leaves are up to 5 centimeters long. The
inflorescence
In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...
is a dense cylindrical spike of wide netted
bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale.
Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...
s with pinkish tips. The flowers just barely emerge from between the bracts. Each flower is about a centimeter long, its narrow, hooked, beaklike upper lip pink and its expanded, pouched lower lip yellowish.
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA Plants ProfilePhoto gallery
Orobanchaceae
Flora of the Western United States
Flora of California
Flora of British Columbia
Flora of Northern America
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
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