Annuals 10–35 cm. Stems erect, scabrous and sparsely puberulent. Leaves 15–50 mm; blade margins entire. Inflorescences spikes or racemes, 2–15 cm; bracts 10–20 mm, margins entire or 3-lobed in proximal 1/2, proximal resembling distal leaves, midlobe yellow-green to purple distally, narrowly triangular, 0.7–1 mm wide, apex acute, not cuspidate, lateral lobes linear to narrowly triangular. Pedicels 0–2 mm. Flowers: calyx 4–8 mm; corolla 10–17 mm, longer than bracts, abaxial lip conspicuously inflated, lobes 3, triangular, adaxial lip yellow or purple-pink, 4–5 mm, 1–2 mm longer than abaxial, glabrous or puberulent, tip notably hooked, not bearded. Capsules 4–6 mm, apex retuse. Seeds 3–6, light brown, narrowly ellipsoid, 1.8–2.5 mm, shallowly reticulate, not ridged. 2n = 14.

Distribution

w United States.

Discussion

Orthocarpus tolmiei is similar to both O. luteus and O. purpureoalbus but usually can be distinguished by its highly branched stems.

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Orthocarpus tolmiei subsp. holmgreniorum, Orthocarpus tolmiei subsp. tolmiei

Key

1	Corollas yellow, adaxial lips sparsely puberulent; calyces glabrous or sparsely glandular-puberulent.	Orthocarpus tolmiei subsp. tolmiei
1	Corollas purple-pink, adaxial lips puberulent; calyces densely glandular-puberulent.	Orthocarpus tolmiei subsp. holmgreniorum