Johnnytuck (Triphysaria eriantha)

Triphysaria eriantha
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Genus:	Triphysaria
Species:	T. eriantha
Binomial name
Triphysaria eriantha (Benth.) T.I.Chuang & Heckard

Triphysaria eriantha is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae, known by the common names johnny-tuck^[1] and butter-and-eggs.

It is native to California and southwestern Oregon, where it grows in many types of habitats including chaparral, becoming quite common in some areas.

Triphysaria eriantha is an annual herb producing a hairy purple stem up to about 35 centimeters in maximum height. Like many species in its family, it is a facultative root parasite on other plants, attaching to their roots via haustoria to tap nutrients. Its green or purplish leaves are up to 5 centimeters long and are divided into a few narrow, pointed lobes.

The inflorescence is a spike of flowers. Each flower has a very thin, narrow upper lip which is purple in color, and a wide lower lip, which is divided into three pouches. The color of the pouches depends on the subspecies: the common ssp. eriantha has white and bright yellow pouches, and the less common coastal subsp. rosea has white pouches tinged with pink.

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  Pink butter-and-eggs
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  Triphysaria eriantha
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  Triphysaria eriantha in vernal pool

• Jepson Manual (TJM93) Treatment of Triphysaria eriantha
• UC Photos gallery: Triphysaria eriantha

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