Cordylanthus

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

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:

• Cordylanthus capitatus - Yakima bird's beak
• Cordylanthus eremicus - desert bird's beak
• Cordylanthus maritimus - saltmarsh bird's beak
• Cordylanthus mollis - soft bird's beak
• Cordylanthus nevinii - Nevin's bird's beak
• Cordylanthus nidularius - Mt. Diablo bird's beak
• Cordylanthus orcuttianus - Orcutt's bird's beak
• Cordylanthus palmatus - palmbract bird's beak
• Cordylanthus parviflorus - purple bird's beak
• Cordylanthus pilosus - hairy bird's beak
• Cordylanthus ramosus - bushy bird's beak
• Cordylanthus rigidus - stiffbranch bird's beak
• Cordylanthus tecopensis - Tecopa bird's beak
• Cordylanthus tenuis - slender bird's beak

External links

• USDA Plants Profile
• Jepson Manual Treatment