Field Owl’s-Clover is a member of the figwort family. The flowers are long tubes with three inflated (balloon-like) lobes near the top. In Field Owl’s-Clover the inflated sacks are bright yellow.
The other owl’s-clovers all have colorful, multi-lobed bracts (specialized leaves with a flower). Only Field Owl’s-Clover has simple, green, leaf-like bracts.
Fun Facts:
Field Owl’s-Clover often supports the parasitic plant Vernal Pool Dodder (Cuscuta howelliana), which is the yellowish string-like plant in this photo.
Life Cycle:
Field Owl’s-Clover is an annual plant, so it dies off every year. It usually germinates after the water in the vernal pools has become very shallow and warm. It blooms from April to May and can be one of the dominant species in a vernal pool.
Ecology:
Most owl’s-clovers require very specific environmental conditions for successful germination and growth. Some years there will be very few plants or even none, while other years there might be millions! Very little is known about how the owl’s-clovers are pollinated.
Investigate:
Try watching a Field Owl’s-Clover for a while to find out if any insects visit it. Be sure to look for small crawling insects as well as the flying ones. Do you think Field Owl’s-Clover is pollinated by insects?
