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Yakima bird's-beak, Yakima birdbeak

nodding bird's-beak

Stems

erect or ascending, 10–50 cm, densely glandular-pubescent and pilose.

erect, 30–90 cm, hirsute to pilose, hairs glandular and eglandular.

Leaves

glandular-pubescent and pilose;

proximal 20–40(–50) mm, margins 3-lobed, lobes 1–2 mm wide;

distal 10–30 × 1 mm, margins entire.

densely pilose;

proximal 5–20 mm, margins 3-lobed, lobes 1 mm wide;

distal 5–15 × 1 mm, margins entire.

Inflorescences

capitate spikes, 2–5-flowered;

bracts 1–5, 10–20 mm, margins 3-lobed, lobes green and purple, linear to linear-lanceolate.

spikes, 1(–4)-flowered;

bract 1, 5–7 mm, 3-lobed, lobes green or purple, narrowly lanceolate.

Pedicels

bracteoles 12–18 mm, margins entire.

bracteoles 10–20 mm, margins entire.

Flowers

calyx 10–15 mm, tube 2–4 mm, apex 2-fid, cleft 3–5 mm;

corolla purple-red, apex yellow, 10–20 mm, throat 4–6 mm diam., abaxial lip 3–5 mm, ca. equal to and appressed to adaxial;

stamens 2, filaments glabrous, fertile pollen sacs 1 per filament, vestigial pollen sacs present.

calyx 10–17 mm, tube 2 mm, apex 2-fid, cleft 0.5–1 mm;

corolla bright yellow, 15–20 mm, throat 3–5 mm diam., abaxial lip 7–10 mm, shorter than adaxial and slightly spreading;

stamens 4, filaments hairy, fertile pollen sacs 1 per filament, vestigial pollen sacs present.

Capsules

ovoid to oblong-ovoid, 5–7 mm.

oblong-lanceoloid, 7–8 mm.

Seeds

4–6, dark brown, narrowly ovoid to reniform, 2–2.5 mm, reticulate.

15–20, light brown, reniform, 1.5–2 mm, reticulate and papillate.

2n

= 26.

= 26.

Cordylanthus capitatus

Cordylanthus laxiflorus

Phenology Flowering Jul–Oct. Flowering Jul–Oct.
Habitat Openings in conifer woodlands and juniper scrub. Rocky slopes, mesas, often limestone.
Elevation 1400–2300 m. (4600–7500 ft.) 1000–1900 m. (3300–6200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Cordylanthus capitatus is often associated with Artemisia tridentata and may be hemiparasitic on it.

Cordylanthus capitatus is distinguished by having only two anthers, each with one fertile pollen sac; infertile vestiges of the second pollen sac usually are present. The species can be recognized by its short-capitate inflorescences, the single, spathelike, deeply cleft calyx lobe, and the purple-red corollas with yellow tips.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Cordylanthus laxiflorus is recognized by its bright yellow corollas with adaxial lip shorter than the galea. Cordylanthus parviflorus also has the abaxial lip shorter than the adaxial; it has pink to purple corollas.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 671. FNA vol. 17, p. 672.
Parent taxa Orobanchaceae > Cordylanthus Orobanchaceae > Cordylanthus
Sibling taxa
C. eremicus, C. kingii, C. laxiflorus, C. nevinii, C. nidularius, C. parviflorus, C. pilosus, C. pringlei, C. ramosus, C. rigidus, C. tenuis, C. wrightii
C. capitatus, C. eremicus, C. kingii, C. nevinii, C. nidularius, C. parviflorus, C. pilosus, C. pringlei, C. ramosus, C. rigidus, C. tenuis, C. wrightii
Synonyms C. nevadensis
Name authority Nuttall ex Bentham: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 10: 597. (1846) A. Gray: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 120. (1859) — (as Cordylanthu)
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