Triphysaria eriantha

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}

{{Speciesbox

|image = Triphysariaeriantha1.jpg

|genus = Triphysaria

|species = eriantha

|authority = (Benth.) T.I.Chuang & Heckard

}}

Triphysaria eriantha is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae, known by the common names johnny-tuck{{PLANTS|id=TRER6|taxon=Triphysaria eriantha|accessdate=15 December 2015}} and butter-and-eggs.

It is native to California and southwestern Oregon, where it grows in many types of habitats including chaparral, 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

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