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

Wright's bird's beak

Stems

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

erect or ascending, 20–90 cm, puberulent and glandular-puberulent or scabrous, often glabrate.

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.

puberulent or glandular-puberulent, often glabrescent;

proximal 20–35 mm, margins 3–7 lobed, lobes 0.5–1.5 mm wide;

distal 10–20 mm, margins entire or 3-lobed.

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.

capitate spikes, 2–12-flowered, 20–40 mm;

bracts 2–10, green or purple distally, 15–30 mm, margins (4 or)5–9-lobed, lobes linear.

Pedicels

bracteoles 10–15 mm, margins entire.

bracteoles 15–30 mm, margins toothed or lobed.

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 lanceolate, 20–25 mm, tube 3–4 mm, apex 2-fid, cleft 1–2 mm;

corolla bright or pale yellow or lavender-pink with purple markings, 20–30 mm, throat 6–8 mm diam., abaxial lip 5–8 mm, ca. equal to and appressed to adaxial;

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

Capsules

oblong-ovoid, 5–7 mm.

oblong, 10–15 mm.

Seeds

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

15–20, brown, oblong-ovoid, 2–2.5 mm, reticulate.

2n

= 28.

Cordylanthus nidularius

Cordylanthus wrightii

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Dry, open serpentine in chaparral.
Elevation 600–800 m. (2000–2600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; TX; UT; n Mexico
[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.)

Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Spikes 2–4-flowered; bracts 2 or 3.
subsp. wrightii
1. Spikes 5–12-flowered; bracts 4–10.
→ 2
2. Bracteole margins pinnately lobed; stems puberulent and glandular-puberulent to glabrate.
subsp. kaibabensis
2. Bracteole margins toothed distally; stems scabrous.
subsp. tenuifolius
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 673. FNA vol. 17, p. 678.
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. parviflorus, C. pilosus, C. pringlei, C. ramosus, C. rigidus, C. tenuis
Subordinate taxa
C. wrightii subsp. kaibabensis, C. wrightii subsp. tenuifolius, C. wrightii subsp. wrightii
Synonyms Adenostegia wrightii
Name authority J. T. Howell: Leafl. W. Bot. 3: 207. (1943) A. Gray: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 120. (1859)
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