Orthocarpus luteus

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Orthocarpus luteus
Orthocarpus luteus1.jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Orobanchaceae
Genus: Orthocarpus
Species:
O. luteus
Binomial name
Orthocarpus luteus
Synonyms [2]
  • Orthocarpus strictus

Orthocarpus luteus is a species of flowering plant in the broomrape family known by the common name yellow owl's-clover. [3] It is native to much of western and central North America, where it grows in many types of plateau, grassland, and mountain habitat.

Contents

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 is a dense cylindrical spike of green bracts, 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.

Taxonomy

Orthocarpus luteus was given its scientific name in 1818 by Thomas Nuttall. It is classified in the genus Orthocarpus within the family Orobanchaceae. It has one heterotypic synonym, Orthocarpus strictus created by George Bentham in 1835 and no subspecies. [2]

References

Citations

Sources

Web sources
  • NatureServe (1 November 2025). "Orthocarpus luteus". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  • NRCS (6 December 2025), "Orthocarpus luteus", PLANTS Database, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
  • POWO (2025). "Orthocarpus luteus Nutt". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 6 December 2025.


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