Triphysaria micrantha
Little butter 'n' eggs
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Matson · licence
Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Triphysaria micrantha (Little butter 'n' eggs) is a native California herb in the Orobanchaceae family, recognized by small size, slender open inflorescence, dark purple markings.
Little butter 'n' eggs is a California native annual found in central Sierra Nevada Foothills, San Joaquin Valley, central Coast Coast, and southern Coast Ranges in grassland habitats at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces yellow flowers with a dark purple beak and subtle markings, generally 8 to 15 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems 5 to 15 centimeters tall, ranging from dark purple to green and becoming increasingly hairy towards the upper portions. Its leaves are 7 to 25 millimeters long, occasionally featuring up to 5 subtle lobes. The tiny fruit measures 4 to 5 millimeters long, containing 50 to 80 dark brown seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 8 sympatric species; key features are small size, slender open inflorescence, dark purple markings
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassland
Elevation: < 1000 m
California counties: Merced, Kern, Tulare, Santa Cruz, San Benito, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Monterey, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Calaveras, El Dorado, Nevada, Marin
Bloom period
Triphysaria micrantha blooms Mar-May.
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 micrantha native to California?
Yes. Triphysaria micrantha is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Triphysaria micrantha bloom?
Triphysaria micrantha blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Triphysaria micrantha grow?
Triphysaria micrantha occurs in Merced, Kern, Tulare, Santa Cruz, San Benito, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Fresno and other counties, at elevations of < 1000 m.
What plant family does Triphysaria micrantha belong to?
Triphysaria micrantha is in the Orobanchaceae family, genus Triphysaria.
What habitat does Triphysaria micrantha grow in?
Triphysaria micrantha grows in Grassland.
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.