''Triphysaria eriantha'' is a species of flowering plant in the family
Orobanchaceae, known by the common names johnny-tuck
and butter-and-eggs.
It is native to
California and southwestern
Oregon, where it grows in many types of habitats including
chaparral
Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean c ...
, becoming quite common in some areas.
Description
''Triphysaria eriantha'' is an annual herb producing a hairy purple stem up to about 35 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 green or purplish leaves are up to 5 centimeters long and are divided into a few narrow, pointed lobes.
The
inflorescence is a spike of flowers. Each flower has a very thin, narrow upper lip which is purple in color, and a wide lower lip, which is divided into three pouches. The color of the pouches depends on the subspecies: the common ssp. ''eriantha'' has white and bright yellow pouches, and the less common coastal subsp. ''rosea'' has white pouches tinged with pink.
Gallery
File:Orobanchaceae triphysaria eriantha pink butter n eggs.jpg, Pink butter-and-eggs
File:Triphysariaeriantha-eri.jpg, ''Triphysaria eriantha''
File:Triphysaria eriantha in vernal pool (35178969222).jpg, Triphysaria eriantha in vernal pool
References
External links
Jepson Manual (TJM93) Treatment of ''Triphysaria eriantha''UC Photos gallery: ''Triphysaria eriantha''
Orobanchaceae
Flora of California
Flora of Oregon
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
{{Orobanchaceae-stub