Triphysaria floribunda
Encyclopedia
Triphysaria floribunda is a rare species of flowering plant in the broomrape family
known by the common name San Francisco owl's clover. It is endemic to California
, where it is known only from the San Francisco Bay Area
. It is limited to coastal regions of Marin
, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties
, where it occurs in coastal prairie
habitat
s, sometimes on serpentine soil
s.
on other plants, attaching to their roots via haustoria
to tap nutrients. Its greenish leaves are up to 4 centimeters long and are divided into several narrow, pointed lobes.
The inflorescence
is a spike of flowers a few centimeters in length. Each flower has a narrow greenish upper lip and a wide lower lip which is divided into yellowish or white pouches.
Orobanchaceae
Orobanchaceae, the broomrape family, is a family of flowering plants of the order Lamiales, with about 90 genera and more than 2000 species. Many of these genera were formerly included in the family Scrophulariaceae sensu lato...
known by the common name San Francisco owl's clover. It is endemic to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it is known only from the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. It is limited to coastal regions of Marin
Marin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
, where it occurs in coastal prairie
California coastal prairie
California coastal prairie, also known as northern coastal grassland, is a grassland plant community of California and Oregon in the Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands Biome...
habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s, sometimes on serpentine soil
Serpentine soil
A serpentine soil is derived from ultramafic rocks, in particular serpentinite, a rock formed by the hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle....
s.
Description
Triphysaria floribunda is an annual herb producing a hairy to hairless yellow-brown stem up to about 30 centimeters in maximum height. Like many species in its family it is a facultative root parasiteParasitic plant
A parasitic plant is one that derives some or all of its sustenance from another plant. About 4,100 species in approximately 19 families of flowering plants are known. Parasitic plants have a modified root, the haustorium, that penetrates the host plant and connects to the xylem, phloem, or...
on other plants, attaching to their roots via haustoria
Haustorium
In botany, a haustorium is the appendage or portion of a parasitic fungus or of the root of a parasitic plant that penetrates the host's tissue and draws nutrients from it. Haustoria do not penetrate the host's cell membranes.Fungi in all major divisions form haustoria...
to tap nutrients. Its greenish leaves are up to 4 centimeters long and are divided into several narrow, pointed lobes.
The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a spike of flowers a few centimeters in length. Each flower has a narrow greenish upper lip and a wide lower lip which is divided into yellowish or white pouches.