Cordylanthus | |
---|---|
Cordylanthus maritimus ssp. palustris | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Orobanchaceae |
Genus: |
Cordylanthus Nutt. ex Benth. |
Species | |
18 - see text |
18 - see text
Cordylanthus is a genus of plants in the broomrape family native to western North America. They are known commonly as bird's beaks. Like other broomrape relatives, bird's beaks are root parasites which insert haustoria into the roots of host plants to obtain nutrients. These are spare, weedy-looking annual plants with long branching erect stems and little foliage. Many bear bird's-beak-shaped flowers in shades of pink or purple.
Selected species: