Sunday, July 2, 2017

Halophytic and hemiparasitic


Point Reyes Salty Bird's-Beak (Chloropyron maritimum ssp. palustre), photographed in Bodega Harbor on 21 June 2017.

This one is salty!  Can you see the salt crystals on the deep maroon floral bracts?

This annual wildflower is a halophyte it grows in saline environments, e.g., in this case, the upper edge of salt marshes.

It's also a hemiparasite — similar to mistletoe, it obtains some of its nutrients from nearby plants.
  

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