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hairy bird's-beak

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

Stems

erect or ascending, 10–90(–120) cm, densely puberulent and glandular-puberulent, and pilose.

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

Leaves

puberulent and pilose;

proximal 15–40 mm, margins 3-lobed, lobes 0.1–0.5 mm wide;

distal 10–25 × 0.1–0.3 mm, margins entire.

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.

Inflorescences

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

bracts 1–4, 10–20 mm, margins entire or 3-lobed, lobes green or purple distally, linear-lanceolate.

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

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

Pedicels

bracteoles 15–20 mm, margins entire or toothed.

bracteoles 10–15 mm, margins entire.

Flowers

calyx 15–20 mm, tube 0–1 mm, apex 2-fid, cleft 0.5–1 mm;

corolla pale yellow to yellow-green, streaked and spotted with maroon, 15–20 mm, tube 5–10 mm, throat 5–8 mm diam., abaxial lip 5–10 mm, ca. equal to and appressed to adaxial;

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

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.

Capsules

oblong-ovoid, 6–10 mm.

oblong-ovoid, 5–7 mm.

Seeds

10–18, dark brown, ovoid, 1.5–2.5 mm, striate.

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

2n

= 28.

= 28.

Cordylanthus pilosus

Cordylanthus nidularius

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Dry, open serpentine in chaparral.
Elevation 600–800 m. (2000–2600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

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

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.)

Key
1. Inflorescence bracts entire.
subsp. pilosus
1. Inflorescence bracts 3-lobed.
subsp. trifidus
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 674. FNA vol. 17, p. 673.
Parent taxa Orobanchaceae > Cordylanthus Orobanchaceae > Cordylanthus
Sibling taxa
C. capitatus, C. eremicus, C. kingii, C. laxiflorus, C. nevinii, C. nidularius, C. parviflorus, C. pringlei, C. ramosus, C. rigidus, C. tenuis, C. wrightii
C. capitatus, C. eremicus, C. kingii, C. laxiflorus, C. nevinii, C. parviflorus, C. pilosus, C. pringlei, C. ramosus, C. rigidus, C. tenuis, C. wrightii
Subordinate taxa
C. pilosus subsp. pilosus, C. pilosus subsp. trifidus
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 7: 382. (1868) J. T. Howell: Leafl. W. Bot. 3: 207. (1943)
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