Aphyllon tuberosum

Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Aphyllon tuberosum is a California native parasitic perennial found in openings of chaparral habitats at elevations below 1,700 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces yellow to purple flowers 10 to 18 millimeters long with obtuse to acute lobes. Growing 8 to 30 centimeters tall with a distinctive coral-like root attachment, it emerges with a stout stem thickened at the base and covered in overlapping scales. Its dark purple above-ground parts are white-papillate, creating a unique visual texture. The plant's unusual parasitic nature is evident in its specialized root structure and compact growth form.

Habitat: Openings in chaparral, generally on

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: < 1700 m

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