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Wright's Bird's Beak, Club Flower - Cordylanthus wrightii


Family: Orobanchaceae - Broom-rape family Genus Common Name: Birds Beak Native Status: NativeDicot Annual Herb Leaves:Alternate
Cordylanthus wrightii - Wright's Bird's Beak, Club Flower.
Cordylanthus - Bird's Beak or Club Flower - as currently described is a small genus of a dozen or so species found in western North America. Other species previously classifed in Cordylanthus have been moved to Chloropyron and Dicranostegia. The plants of Cordylanthus are hemi-parasitic - they have chlorophyll and thus provide some of their own food, but are also partially parasitic on the roots or shoots of another host plant, obtaining water and minerals from the other plant. This root parasitism has allowed Cordylanthus to grow in dry areas during drier times when most other annuals have died. Cordylanthus, along with many other parasitic former members of Scrophulariaceae has been moved to Orobanchaceae.

Cordylanthus wrightii grows in sandy areas in plains and pine forests of the four corners states in the southwestern United States, and in extreme western Texas. It blooms from July thru October.

Found in:
AZ, CO, NM, TX, UT

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Cordylanthus wrightii

Distribution of Cordylanthus wrightii in the United States and Canada:
USDA Map temporarily unavailable.
Blue=Native; Grey=Introduced

Map from USDA Plants Database:
USDA, NRCS. 2017. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 16 Jan 2025). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.

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Site: Canyonlands National Park, San Juan County, UT Date: 2016-August-28Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D7000
The flower of Cordylanthus wrightii has a green calyx which partially sheaths the two-lipped corolla, which may be yellow to reddish-purple (some say "mauve"). The upper corolla lip is hood-like, and contains four stamens and the style, with what appears to me to be the style extending and bending beak-like over the corolla lip. The lower lip is smaller, hidden behind the upper lip in this picture. The corolla is hairy.
Cordylanthus wrightii
Site: Canyonlands National Park, San Juan County, UT Date: 2016-August-28Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
In addition to the shield-like calyx, the flower is subtended by linear bracts, which are shaped similarly to the leaves.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Cordylanthus wrightii
Site: Canyonlands National Park, San Juan County, UT Date: 2016-August-28Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Wright's Bird's Beak is a much-branching, spindly-looking plant, growing up to about 4 feet tall. The leaves are alternate, divided into linear segments.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Cordylanthus wrightii
References used for identification and information:
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Cordylanthus wrightii initially published on USWildflowers.com 2019-03-30; Updated 2019-03-30

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