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bird-on-nest, Mount Diablo bird's-beak, Mt. Diablo bird's-beak

purple bird's-beak, small-flower bird's-beak, sticky bird's-beak

Stems

decumbent, 5–10(–15) cm, glandular-puberulent and pilose.

erect to ascending, 20–60 cm, hirsute and densely glandular-pubescent.

Leaves

glandular-puberulent and pilose;

proximal 10–30 mm, margins entire or 3-lobed, lobes 1–2 mm wide;

distal 10–20 × 1 mm, margins entire.

glandular-pubescent and hirsute;

proximal 10–30 mm, margins 3-lobed, lobes 1 mm wide;

distal 5–20 × 1 mm, margins entire.

Inflorescences

spikes, 2- or 3-flowered, or flowers solitary;

bracts 2 or 3, 10–15 mm, margins 3-lobed, lobes purple distally, linear to filiform.

spikes, 2-flowered, or flowers solitary;

bracts 1(or 2), 5–15 mm, margins 3-lobed, lobes sometimes purplish distally, linear-lanceolate.

Pedicels

bracteoles 10–15 mm, margins entire.

bracteoles 10–12 mm, margins entire.

Flowers

calyx 10–16 mm, tube 0 mm, apex entire;

corolla white with purple veins, 10–15 mm, throat 5–7(–9) mm diam., abaxial lip 3–5 mm, ca. equal to and appressed to adaxial;

stamens 4, filaments hairy, fertile pollen sacs 2 per filament, equal.

calyx 10–15 mm, tube 5–8 mm, apex 2-fid, cleft 1 mm;

corolla pale pink to purple-pink with darker veins, 15–20 mm, tube 10–15 mm, throat 5–7 mm diam., abaxial lip 5–6 mm, shorter than and not appressed to adaxial;

stamens 4, filaments hairy, fertile pollen sacs 2 per filament, equal.

Capsules

oblong-ovoid, 5–7 mm.

oblong-lanceoloid, 7–9 mm.

Seeds

7–10, dark brown, ovoid to reniform, 1.5–2 mm, irregularly striate.

15–20, dark brown, ovoid to reniform, 1.5–2 mm, reticulate and papillate.

2n

= 28.

= 26.

Cordylanthus nidularius

Cordylanthus parviflorus

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Aug–Oct.
Habitat Dry, open serpentine in chaparral. Dry, rocky slopes, sagebrush scrub, pinyon-juniper woodlands, Joshua tree woodlands.
Elevation 600–800 m. (2000–2600 ft.) 700–2200 m. (2300–7200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; NV; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cordylanthus nidularius is the only member of the genus with decumbent stems. The species is similar to C. tenuis; it differs in its white (versus pale yellow) corollas and decumbent (versus erect to ascending) stems. It grows on the eastern slopes of Mt. Diablo.

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

Cordylanthus parviflorus is similar to C. laxiflorus, which also has unequal corolla lips. It can be distinguished from C. laxiflorus by its pink to purple (versus yellow) corollas and stamens with two pollen sacs.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 673. FNA vol. 17, p. 673.
Parent taxa Orobanchaceae > Cordylanthus Orobanchaceae > Cordylanthus
Sibling taxa
C. capitatus, C. eremicus, C. kingii, C. laxiflorus, C. nevinii, C. parviflorus, C. pilosus, C. pringlei, C. ramosus, C. rigidus, C. tenuis, C. wrightii
C. capitatus, C. eremicus, C. kingii, C. laxiflorus, C. nevinii, C. nidularius, C. pilosus, C. pringlei, C. ramosus, C. rigidus, C. tenuis, C. wrightii
Synonyms Adenostegia parviflora, C. glandulosus
Name authority J. T. Howell: Leafl. W. Bot. 3: 207. (1943) (Ferris) Wiggins: Contr. Dudley Herb. 1: 174. (1933)
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