About Triphysaria eriantha (Benth.) T.I.Chuang & Heckard
Triphysaria eriantha is an annual herb that grows a hairy purple stem, reaching a maximum height of around 35 centimeters. Like many other species in its family, it is a facultative root parasite that grows on other plants. It attaches to host plant roots using haustoria to draw nutrients. Its leaves can be green or purplish, grow up to 5 centimeters long, and are split into a small number of narrow, pointed lobes. The plant's flowers form a spike-shaped inflorescence. Each individual flower has a thin, narrow purple upper lip, and a wide lower lip divided into three pouches. The color of these pouches differs between the plant's two subspecies: the common subspecies eriantha has white and bright yellow pouches, while the less common coastal subspecies rosea has white pouches with a pink tinge.
