Triphysaria versicolor
Yellow owl's clover
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Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Triphysaria versicolor (Yellow owl's clover) is a native California herb in the Orobanchaceae family.
Yellow owl's clover is a California native annual herb found in coastal and central California regions in grasslands and oak woodlands at elevations of 100 to 1,000 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces yellow or white flowers with purple-dotted margins, featuring a distinctive yellow beak and dense puberulent corolla tube. Growing with green to yellow-brown stems 10 to 60 centimeters tall, it has an upright and branching habit. Its leaves are 20 to 80 millimeters long with 5 to 9 distinct lobes, creating a delicate and finely divided foliage structure. The fruit contains 30 to 50 dark brown seeds, nestled within bracts 8 to 18 millimeters long with lanceolate lobes.
Habitat and range
California counties: El Dorado, Colusa, Sonoma, Del Norte, Humboldt, San Francisco, San Mateo, Sacramento, Solano, Napa, Santa Cruz
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 versicolor native to California?
Yes. Triphysaria versicolor is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Triphysaria versicolor grow?
Triphysaria versicolor occurs in El Dorado, Colusa, Sonoma, Del Norte, Humboldt, San Francisco, San Mateo, Sacramento and other counties.
What plant family does Triphysaria versicolor belong to?
Triphysaria versicolor is in the Orobanchaceae family, genus Triphysaria.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Triphysaria versicolor subsp. faucibarbata
- Triphysaria versicolor subsp. versicolor
- Triphysaria eriantha — Butter-and-eggs
- Triphysaria eriantha subsp. eriantha
- Triphysaria eriantha subsp. rosea
- Triphysaria floribunda — San francisco owl's-clover
- Aphyllon californicum
- Aphyllon californicum subsp. californicum
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.