This pretty plant is not a true clover at all, but rather a member of the Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family). It's named for the somewhat owlish appearance of the pale flowers with dark "eyes" (one is clearly visible in the above photo). The surrounding pinkish/magenta appendages are bracts, not flowers.
A number of folks have told me that upon seeing fully-flowered plants while in various states of mental alteration, they've been deeply creeped out by what appeared to them to be masses of tiny, perpetually staring owls swaying in the wind.
Perhaps my favorite natural history tidbit regarding this species has to do with its nutritional strategy. This is no ordinary plant, my friends. No, this is a hemiparasite. Which is to say, C. exserta steals resources from nearby plants by producing haustoria (long appendages that penetrate deeply into other roots, and serve as surfaces for nutrient uptake). Fungi also produce haustoria, as do Rafflesia plants.
And to think! They just sit there, looking pretty and innocent on the landscape:
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1 comment:
v. cool...I see them in a whole new light now that they're life sucking parasites!
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