Triphysaria eriantha
Butter-and-eggs, johnny-tuck, Johnny-Tuck
(c) Justin Johnsen, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Triphysaria eriantha (Butter-and-eggs) is a native California herb in the Orobanchaceae family.
Butter-and-eggs is a California native annual found in open grasslands and meadows. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces yellow to white flowers that fade to rose-pink, with a distinctive dark purple beak and delicate pouches 3 to 4 millimeters deep. Growing 10 to 35 centimeters tall with a slightly purple stem covered in fine hairs, the plant has a branching, delicate form. Its leaves are 10 to 50 millimeters long, intricately divided into 3 to 7 lobes, giving the plant a feathery, intricate appearance. The fruit is an oblong capsule 5 to 8 millimeters long, containing 30 to 50 dark brown seeds.
Habitat and range
California counties: Humboldt, Placer, Calaveras, Santa Clara, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Tulare, Solano, Marin, Monterey, Shasta, Lake, Mariposa, Contra Costa, Yuba, El Dorado, Colusa, Amador, Butte, Sacramento, Tuolumne, Tehama, Sonoma, Glenn, Merced, Sutter, Nevada, Napa, Del Norte, Santa Barbara, Stanislaus, San Diego, San Mateo, Alameda, San Joaquin, Modoc, Mendocino, Yolo, Madera, Santa Cruz, Kern
How to tell it apart
vs Castilleja: Triphysaria has sharp throat fold above lower lip; Castilleja has smooth throat without fold.; vs Linaria: Triphysaria has open beak with throat fold; Linaria has closed tube with spur projecting backward.; vs Trifolium: Triphysaria has tubular two-lipped flowers; Trifolium has round heads of pea-like flowers with three leaflets.; vs Bellardia: Triphysaria has throat fold and yellow-white flowers; Bellardia lacks throat fold and has purple-yellow flowers.; vs Orthocarpus: Triphysaria has open beak with throat fold; Orthocarpus has closed hood completely covering stamens.
Frequently asked questions
Is Triphysaria eriantha native to California?
Yes. Triphysaria eriantha is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Triphysaria eriantha grow?
Triphysaria eriantha occurs in Humboldt, Placer, Calaveras, Santa Clara, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Tulare, Solano and other counties.
What plant family does Triphysaria eriantha belong to?
Triphysaria eriantha is in the Orobanchaceae family, genus Triphysaria.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.