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Orthocarpus bracteosus

bract owl's clover, rosy owl's-clover, rosy owl-clover

Habit Annuals 6–41 cm.
Stems

erect, minutely scabrous and puberulent.

Leaves

15–40 mm;

blade: proximal margins entire, distal 3-lobed.

Inflorescences

racemes or spikes, (1.5–)3–20 cm;

bracts 10–20 mm, margins entire or 3(or 5)-lobed in distal 2/3, proximal not resembling distal leaves, midlobe green or purple distally, triangular, 3–4 mm wide, apex acute, not cuspidate, lateral lobes narrowly triangular.

Pedicels

(0–)1–1.5 mm.

Flowers

calyx 6–10 mm;

corolla 12–20 mm, longer than bracts, abaxial lip inflated, lobes 0, adaxial lip purple-pink to white, 4–6 mm, equal to abaxial, glabrous or puberulent, tip notably hooked, not bearded.

Capsules

5–7 mm, apex retuse.

Seeds

10–15, curved, light brown, oblong, 18–25 mm, reticulate, ridged.

2n

= 30.

Orthocarpus bracteosus

Phenology Flowering late May–Oct.
Habitat Seasonally wet meadows.
Elevation 10–2000 m. [30–6600 ft.]
Distribution
map from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Orthocarpus bracteosus is endangered in British Columbia and Washington. It resembles O. purpureoalbus; the midlobe of the bracts is 3–4 (versus 1–2) mm wide. Also, the leaves of O. purpureoalbus tend to be dark green; those of O. bracteosus are usually lighter green or yellow-green.

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

Parent taxa Orobanchaceae > Orthocarpus
Sibling taxa
O. barbatus, O. cuspidatus, O. imbricatus, O. luteus, O. pachystachyus, O. purpureoalbus, O. tenuifolius, O. tolmiei
Synonyms O. bracteosus var. albus
Name authority Bentham: Scroph. Ind., 13. (1835)
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 681. Treatment author: Kerry A. Barringer.
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