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 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Orobanchaceae |
| Genus: | Triphysaria |
| Species: | T. eriantha
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| Binomial name | |
| Triphysaria eriantha (Benth.) T.I.Chuang & Heckard
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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
editTriphysaria 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
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Pink butter-and-eggs -
Triphysaria eriantha -
Triphysaria eriantha in vernal pool
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References
edit- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Triphysaria eriantha". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
External links
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