Dwarf owl clover

Description

Triphysaria pusilla is an annual herb producing a hairy brownish or purple-colored, multibranched stem up to about 20 centimeters in maximum height. Like many species in its family, it is a facultative root parasite on other plants, attaching to their roots via haustoria to tap nutrients. Its greenish, red or purple leaves are up to 3 centimeters long and are divided into a few narrow, pointed lobes. The inflorescence is a spike of flowers. Each flower has a beaklike yellow or purple upper lip and a wider lower lip which is divided into three tiny yellow or purple pouches.