Scientific Family
Scrophulariaceae
Synonyms
Adenostegia laxiflora
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Similar species
Cordylanthus parviflorus
Height
To nearly 16 inches
Riparian
No
Leafy, upright, much branched parasitic annual; lower stems and leaves have coarse, stiff hairs, upper foliage is often glandular with long, soft, shaggy hairs; spikes of 2-lipped yellow flowers resembling a bird's beak are scattered along the branches.
Annual; roots yellow; stems branched; leaves narrow, smooth margined, hairy, often glandular above; flowers bright yellow, scattered among the branches, narrow, 2-lipped, lower lip 1/2 to 2/3 the length of upper.
Habitat
Dry mesas and slopes, often in limestone soils and with junipers.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Low elevation
3500
High elevation
6000
Flower Characteristics
Flowers grow in spikey clusters, are bright yellow when fresh but dry purplish and are surrounded by an outer layer of hairy leaf-like bracts. Each flower is from 1/2 to 3/4 inch long and 2-lipped with the lower lip 1/2 to 2/3 as long as the upper.
Flower color
Bright yellow, purplish with age
Flower shape
Irregular
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
August
Last bloom month
October
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Both the upper and lower leaves are densely hairy with long, soft, straight hairs and range from about 1/4 to 3/4 inch. The lower leaves may have 3-lobed margins (each lobe being about 1/16 inch wide) while the upper leaves have smooth margins.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
The fruit is a flattened capsule about 1/2 inch long with an oblong lance-like shape. It contains few to many seeds, often about 15 to 20.
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit color
Light brown
Each seed is light brown, less than 1/16 inch, kidney-shaped, with net-like veins and rounded bumps on its surface.