Aphyllon californicum subsp. californicum

Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: perennial · Native

california broomrape is a California native parasitic perennial found in coastal regions in sandy or heavy soils of coastal bluffs at elevations below 150 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces pale to pink-purple flowers with lips 22 to 45 millimeters long, featuring a throat that abruptly widens. Growing 5 to 27 centimeters tall with generally branched stems, it appears pale to pink-purple above ground. Its plant structure is characterized by compact, head-like or round-topped inflorescences less than 8 centimeters wide, with distinctive purple-hued flower lips. The plant exhibits an unusual parasitic growth habit, drawing nutrients from host plants through specialized root structures.

Habitat: Uncommon. Sandy or heavy soils of coastal bluffs, generally on

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: < 150 m

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.