Aureolaria pectinata

Aureolaria pectinata
Conservation status
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Genus:	Aureolaria
Species:	A. pectinata
Binomial name
Aureolaria pectinata (Nutt.) Pennell

Aureolaria pectinata, commonly called combleaf yellow false foxglove, ^[2] false foxglove, ^[3] and comb-leaf oakleach, ^[1] is a species of plant in the broomrape family that is native to the southeastern United States. ^[4]

It is an annual plant that produces yellow flowers in the late summer on herbaceous stems. ^[5] It possesses oppositely arranged, fern-like leaves. ^[6] It is hemiparasitic, meaning that it gets some of its nutrients from other plants. A. pectinata attaches itself to the roots of oak trees, explaining the common name "oakleach". ^[7]

Ecology

Habitat

A. pectinata is often found in communities such as upland hardwood forests, savannas, and pine communities. ^[8]

Phenology

The flowers of A. pectinata are bisexual and bloom from May to October. ^[9]

Fire Ecology

It has been observed that A. pectinata occurs in sites that have been burned, but not in sites that have not. ^[10]

Pollination, Herbivory, and Toxicology

A. pectinata has been observed to be pollinated by both bees and hummingbirds. ^[7] It serves as the larval host plant for Euphydryas phaeton . ^[7]

References

1. "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org.
2. NRCS. "Aureolaria pectinata". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 19 April 2020.
3. "Aureolaria pectinata page". www.missouriplants.com.
4. Kartesz, John T. (2020). "Aureolaria pectinata". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
5. "Aureolaria pectinata". Flora of Alabama. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
6. Radford, Albert Ernest; Ahles, Harry E.; Bell, Clyde Ritchie (1983). Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas (9. printing ed.). Chapel Hill, NC: Univ. of North Carolina Press. ISBN   978-0-8078-1087-3.
7. "Know Your Natives – Yellow False Foxgloves". Arkansas Native Plant Society. 4 October 2014.
8. "Combleaf Yellow False Foxglove". Missouri Department of Conservation. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
9. "Know Your Natives – Yellow False Foxgloves". Arkansas Native Plant Society. October 3, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
10. Harrod, J.C.; Harmon, M.E.; White, P.S. (August 2000). "Post‐fire succession and 20th century reduction in fire frequency on xeric southern Appalachian sites". Journal of Vegetation Science. 11 (4): 465–472. doi:10.2307/3246576. ISSN   1100-9233.