''Triphysaria'' is a genus of five plants in the family

Orobanchaceae Orobanchaceae, the broomrapes, is a family (biology), family of mostly parasitic plants of the order (biology), order Lamiales, with about 90 genus, genera and more than 2000 species. Many of these genera (e.g., ''Pedicularis'', ''Rhinanthus'', ...

, commonly known as owl's-clovers. This genus is closely related to the genera ''

Castilleja ''Castilleja'', commonly known as paintbrush, Indian paintbrush, or prairie-fire, is a genus of about 200 species of Annual plant, annual and Perennial plant, perennial mostly herbaceous plants native to the west of the Americas from Alaska sout ...

'' and '' Orthocarpus''. ''Triphysaria'' species are native to western North America, including one species that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to California.

Description

These plants, like those in many other genera of the family, are facultative hemiparasites on other plants. They produce

haustoria In botany and mycology, a haustorium (plural haustoria) is a rootlike structure that grows into or around another structure to absorb water or nutrients. For example, in mistletoe or members of the broomrape family, the structure penetrates th ...

that tap into the roots of other plants to extract some of the nutrients they need. The plants bear spike inflorescences of pouched, folded flowers that have lips shaped like the beak of an

owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...

. While the plants contain their own chlorophyll and are able to undergo photosynthesis, this process is limited. Without host plants, the species cannot flourish as greatly.

Species

*'' Triphysaria eriantha'' - johnny-tuck, butter-and-eggs *'' Triphysaria floribunda'' - San Francisco owl's-clover '' alifornia endemic' *'' Triphysaria micrantha'' - purplebeak owl's-clover *'' Triphysaria pusilla'' - dwarf owl's-clover *'' Triphysaria versicolor'' - yellowbeak owl's-clover

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment: ''Triphysaria''zipcodezoo: ''Triphysaria''

Description

Species

References

External links

Further reading