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Yakima bird's-beak, Yakima birdbeak

Nevin's bird's-beak

Stems

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

ascending, 20–80 cm, densely puberulent and glandular-puberulent, sometimes pilose.

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 glandular-puberulent;

proximal 5–30 mm, margins 3-lobed, lobes 1 mm wide;

distal 5–20 × 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, 2(or 3)-flowered, or flowers solitary;

bracts 1–3, 5–10 mm, margins 3-lobed, lobes white to cream distally, linear or slightly spatulate, apex rounded to retuse.

Pedicels

bracteoles 12–18 mm, margins entire.

bracteoles 10–15 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 10–15 mm, tube 1 mm, apex entire;

corolla white with purple veins, apex yellow, 10–18 mm, throat 5–8 mm diam., abaxial lip 3–5 mm, ca. equal to and appressed to adaxial;

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

Capsules

ovoid to oblong-ovoid, 5–7 mm.

ovoid-oblong, 5–8 mm.

Seeds

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

6–10, dark brown, ovoid, 2.5–3 mm, striate.

2n

= 26.

= 28.

Cordylanthus capitatus

Cordylanthus nevinii

Phenology Flowering Jul–Oct. Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Openings in conifer woodlands and juniper scrub. Openings, hillsides, pine-oak woodlands.
Elevation 1400–2300 m. (4600–7500 ft.) 1400–2600 m. (4600–8500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; WA
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California)
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[BONAP county 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 nevinii has relatively short inflorescence bracts, similar to those of C. rigidus subsp. brevibracteatus, which is sympatric. Cordylanthus nevinii can be distinguished by having only one fertile pollen sac per stamen and flowers much longer than the inflorescence bracts.

The corolla of Cordylanthus nevinii is very wide at the middle just proximal to the base of the adaxial lip. The flowers appear to have a pair of lateral pouches. This appearance is enhanced because the pouches are white, in contrast to the purple-veined adaxial lip.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 671. FNA vol. 17, p. 673.
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. laxiflorus, 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: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17: 229. (1882)
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