Photo © Al Schneider, www.swcoloradowildflowers.com

Photo © Al Schneider, www.swcoloradowildflowers.com

Photo © Al Schneider, www.swcoloradowildflowers.com

NPS Photo

Wright's Birdsbeak

Cordylanthus wrightii

Family: Scrophulariaceae – Figwort Family

Annual herbs; 6” to 4' (15 to 120 cm) tall

Leaves: alternate; simple; leaves deeply divided into narrow segments; 0.4” to 1.4” (1 to 3.5 cm) long

Flowers: 4 or 5 pink or purple united tubular petals; 4 or 5 at least partially united tubular sepals, rarely 2 sepals ; bilaterally symmetrical; usually bisexual; 4 stamens; irregular tubular flowers with 2 lipped corollas (3 lobes down and 2 lobes up); 0.6” to 1.08” (15 to 27 mm) long

Pollinators: other genera in this family are pollinated by insects (specifically bees, flies, moths and butterflies)

Fruits: 2 chambered capsule (dry fruit)

Blooms in Arches National Park: August, September, October

Habitat in Arches National Park: often in sand in desert shrub, grassland, and pinyon-pine communities

Location seen: Bloody Mary wash near visitor center, Park Avenue trail, Delicate Arch road

Other: The genus name, “Cordylanthus”, is from the Greek “kordyle” which means “club” and “ anthos ” which means “flower” referring to the shape of the flower. The species name, “wrightii”, honors American botanical collector, Charles Wright (1811-1885).

The family is important because of many ornamentals and cardiac glycosides that can be derived from foxglove.