''Orthocarpus luteus'' is a species of flowering plant in the
broomrape family known by the common name yellow owl's-clover.
''Orthocarpus luteus''
(USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
Plants Profile) It is native to much of western and central North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, where it grows in many types of plateau, grassland, and mountain habitat.
Description
It is an annual herb producing a slender, hairy, glandular, bright yellowish green to deep purple stem up to about 40 centimeters tall. The narrow leaves are up to 5 centimeters long, the upper ones sometimes divided into three lobes. The 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. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...
is a dense cylindrical spike of green bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...
s, the flowers emerging from between them. The lightly hairy flowers are 1 to 1.5 centimeters long and bright yellow in color. They are club-shaped, the upper lip a tiny, curving beak and the lower lip a narrow pouch.
See also
*List of Canadian plants by family S
''Main page:'' List of Canadian plants by family
Families:
List of Canadian plants by family A, A , List of Canadian plants by family B, B , List of Canadian plants by family C, C , List of Canadian plants by family D, D , List of Canadian p ...
* List of Scrophulariales of Montana
References
External links
*
*
Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA Plants ProfilePhoto gallery
Orobanchaceae
Flora of the United States
Flora of the Western United States
Flora of California
Flora of Canada
Flora of Northern America
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
{{Orobanchaceae-stub