Triphysaria eriantha

Triphysaria eriantha is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae, known by the common names johnny-tuck[1] and butter-and-eggs.

Triphysaria eriantha
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Orobanchaceae
Genus: Triphysaria
Species:
T. eriantha
Binomial name
Triphysaria eriantha
(Benth.) T.I.Chuang & Heckard

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.

  • Pink butter-and-eggs
    Pink butter-and-eggs
  • Triphysaria eriantha
    Triphysaria eriantha
  • Triphysaria eriantha in vernal pool
    Triphysaria eriantha in vernal pool

References
  1. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Triphysaria eriantha". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 December 2015.


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