Castilleja miniata Douglas ex Hook.
Giant red Indian paintbrush, desert paintbrush, giant red paintbrush
Giant red Indian paintbrush is native to much of western North America, one of the 200 or so species of genus Castilleja. If you’re interested in Castillejas, don’t miss Mark Egger’s superb photographic compilation on Flickr. They appear from April to October. See also this Castilleja comparison table. Identification: Plants are 18-36" (45-91 cm) high, with unbranched or rarely branched stems. Stems are green, becoming purplish with age. Leaves are 1-2" (3-6 cm) long, lanceolate (lance-shaped) and entire (undivided), with sharp tips. The flowerheads, 1-6" (3-15 cm) in size, are mostly bracts (modified leaves), colored crimson or scarlet; the true flowers are small, green, and easily overlooked. Fruits are ⅛-⅜" (6-12 mm) in size, containing seeds that are ¹/₃₂-¹/₁₆" (1.5-2 mm). The species has many variants, as you can see from the references below. Online References:
Castilleja miniata Douglas ex Hook., "boreosylvestris" form at Mark Egger’s Castilleja site on Flickr Castilleja miniata Douglas ex Hook. var. dixonii (Fernald) A. Nelson & J.F. Macbr. at Mark Egger’s Castilleja site on Flickr Castilleja miniata Douglas & Hook. var. fulva (Pennell) J.M. Egger at Mark Egger’s Castilleja site on Flickr Castilleja miniata Douglas ex. Hook. var. miniata at Mark Egger’s Castilleja site on Flickr Castilleja miniata Douglas ex Hook. var. oblongifolia (A. Gray) P.A. Munz at Mark Egger’s Castilleja site on Flickr Castilleja miniata Douglas ex Hook., NW-central Alberta form at Mark Egger’s Castilleja site on Flickr Castilleja miniata Douglas ex Hook., west-central Oregon form at Mark Egger’s Castilleja site on Flickr Castilleja miniata on CalPhotos Castilleja miniata on the USDA Plants Database Castilleja miniata at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Castilleja miniata from the Jepson Manual References:
Turner, Mark, Gustafson, Phyllis, Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest, Timber Press, 2006, p. 367 Castilleja miniata description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020. © FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved. |
9/1/2007 · Mt. St. Helens, Washington 8/31/2014 · New Mexico 8/26/2014 · Rt. 53, El Malpais Nat. Monument, El Caldaron Area, El Malpais, New Mexico 9/1/2007 · Mt. St. Helens, Washington 8/26/2014 · Rt. 53, El Malpais Nat. Monument, El Caldaron Area, El Malpais, New Mexico Range:
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