[Owl-clovers: The Genus Orthocarpus East of the Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]

Copeland's Owl-clover, Copeland's Owl's-clover

Orthocarpus cuspidatus ssp. copelandii

Synonyms: Orthocarpus copelandii, Orthocarpus copelandii var. copelandii

Orthocarpus copelandii var. copelandii from Jackman Park C.G., Steens Mt......Aug 5, 1995. Note the lip of the corolla extedning beyond the subtending bract.

Stem leaf of Copeland's Owl-clover, Copeland's Owl's-clover: Orthocarpus cuspidatus ssp. copelandii (Synonyms: Orthocarpus copelandii, Orthocarpus copelandii var. copelandii)

The photo at right shows a lower bract-like leaf of Copeland's owl-clover as seen at Jackman Park C.G........June 26, 2000.

Characteristics:

Copeland's owl-clover is a very attractive annual wildflower. The erect stems are usually simple, rising from 7-22 cm high. The herbage consists of purplish hairs. The stem leaves are linear-lanceolate in shape with the lower leaves with entire margins and the upper leaves three-lobed. The leaves range from 2-4 cm long.

The inflorescence is a short, dense spike. The bracts are ovate to broadly lanceolate in shape with 1-2 pairs of small, spreading lateral lobes. The bracts are greenish, the upper with purplish tips, and they closely overlap, often concealing the corollas. The calyx is 5-9 mm long with lateral clefts 1.2-2.6 mm deep, the lower cleft 2-4 mm deep, and the upper 3-6 mm deep. The corolla is 9-16 mm long with the upper lip 2.5-7.5 mm long with a straight rosy to violet tip. The lower lip is 2.8-5.5 mm long and weakly 3-saccate. The lower lip is yellow or white. The similar var. cryptanthus has shorter corollas from 9-12 mm long.

Habitat:

Copeland's owl-clover may be found in fairly moist to dry sagebrush and bitterbrush meadows into moist rock outcrops between the elevations of 1500-3000 meters.

Range:

Copeland's owl-clover may be found from southwestern and southeastern (the Steens Mt.) Oregon south to Glenn and Mono Counties in California and to Mineral, Washoe and Humboldt Counties in Nevada.

Copeland's owl-clover observed along FS Road 3910 in the Bald Hills of the Mt. Bidwell Recreation Area, Fremont-Winema National Forest.......July 31, 2020.

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Copeland's owl-clover spotted just past peak bloom along the Fremont National Scenic Trail #160 on the northeastern slopes of Crook Peak, Fremont-Winema National Forest.....July 17, 2022.

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What may be Copeland's owl-clover as seen at Jackman Park, Steens Mountain, Harney County, Oregon........August 31, 2011.

Paul Slichter