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Castilleja chambersii

Chambers' Indian paintbrush, Chambers' paintbrush

estuarine paintbrush, johnny-nip, owl-clover paintbrush, paint-brush owl-clover, paintbrush, paintbrush owl's-clover

Habit Herbs, perennial, 1.5–3.7 dm; from a thick, woody caudex; with a taproot. Herbs, annual, sometimes biennial, 0.6–3.5 dm; with fibrous roots.
Stems

solitary or few to several, ascending, sometimes short-decumbent and rooting, branched from near base, sometimes distally, glabrous or glabrate with hairs very sparse, ± appressed, very short, soft, eglandular.

few to many, sometimes solitary (var. meadii), ascending or erect, often decumbent proximally, unbranched or branched above base, hairs sparse to moderately dense, spreading, long, soft, eglandular, mixed with short stipitate-glandular hairs.

Leaves

green, often brown- or purple-tinged, oblong to lanceolate to narrowly ovate or ovate, (1–)2–5.8 cm, not fleshy, margins plane, ± involute, deeply 3–7(–11)-lobed, sometimes with secondary lobes, apex narrowly acute;

lobes erect to ascending, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate to oblanceolate, apex acute.

green or brownish in upland forms, linear-lanceolate to widely lanceolate, linear, elliptic, obovate, or oblong, rarely ovate or cup-shaped, (0.6–)0.8–5 cm, fleshy or not, margins plane, flat, 3–5(–7)-lobed, apex rounded to obtuse or acuminate, abaxial surface often stipitate-glandular, adaxial sometimes shiny, glabrous;

lobes ascending to erect, linear to lanceolate, apex acute or obtuse.

Inflorescences

3–15 × 2–4.5 cm;

bracts proximally greenish, distally bright red, scarlet, or pale reddish orange, rarely orange-yellow, often fading to pale yellowish orange with age, obovate to orbicular, fan-shaped, (3–)5–9(–13)-lobed, sometimes with secondary lobes;

lobes erect or ascending, lanceolate to triangular, short and medium length, usually arising at or above mid length, rarely below, apex acute.

1.5–9(–13) × 1–4 cm;

bracts proximally green, rarely brownish purple, distally white, cream, pink, or purple on apices, lanceolate, oblong, or ovate, (0–)3–5(–7)-lobed;

lobes ascending or divaricate-ascending, oblong to linear, short to long, arising below or above mid length, central lobe apex usually rounded to truncate, others acute to obtuse.

Corollas

straight, 30–45 mm;

tube 14–19 mm;

beak long-exserted, adaxially green or yellow-green to brownish, 18–24 mm;

abaxial lip deep green, reduced, 1–3 mm, 10% as long as beak;

teeth incurved, greenish to dull purplish, 0.5–1.5 mm.

straight, 14–24 mm;

tube 11–21 mm, expanded distally;

abaxial lip and beak usually exserted, beak straight or slightly curved, adaxially white, yellow, or pink, sometimes green or purplish, (1–)4–7 mm, sparsely to densely short-hairy;

abaxial lip pale to bright yellow, sometimes becoming pink, orange, or red after anthesis, with red-brown or purple spots at base of each tooth and sometimes at base of each pouch, conspicuous, pouches 3, ± prominent, divergent, saccate, 2–7 × 3–7 mm, (33–)60–75(–90)% as long as beak;

teeth erect, sometimes spreading, white, pink, purple, or green, often with whitish bases, 1–3 mm.

Calyces

proximally green, sometimes purple to brown, distally colored as bracts, 20–30 mm;

abaxial and adaxial clefts 7–14 mm, ca. 33% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 2–4 mm, 10–15% of calyx length;

lobes triangular, barely longer than wide, apex acute or acuminate to obtuse.

green to pale yellowish green or tipped with white or purple, 8–23 mm;

abaxial and adaxial clefts 5–9 mm, 33–50(–67)% of calyx length, lateral 2–5.5 mm, 20–40% of calyx length;

lobes linear or narrowly lanceolate to oblong or ± triangular, apex acuminate or narrowly acute to obtuse or rounded.

Filaments

glabrous.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Castilleja chambersii

Castilleja ambigua

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Turf or crevices on rocky slopes and benches over basalt, se to sw aspect, sun or partial shade.
Elevation 600–1000 m. (2000–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Castilleja chambersii is limited to the summits of three volcanic peaks in the northern Coast Range of Clatsop County, Oregon, and at one similar area in nearby Pacific County, Washington. It is similar to C. rupicola, and the two likely share a common ancestor. Disturbance and erosion from logging and road construction represent significant threats to C. chambersii. Populations of C. chambersii often grow near and even alongside C. hispida, but hybrids are rare.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Varieties 4 (4 in the flora).

Castilleja ambigua is a complex species, treated here with four varieties, though many localized variations exist among populations, and these are still incompletely understood.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Bract lobes linear; stems erect; moist inland meadows and vernal pools on volcanic substrates; c Napa County, California.
var. meadii
1. Bract lobes linear to oblong; stems ± decumbent, at least proximally; coastal salt marshes, margins of brackish estuaries, coastal sandy bluffs, mesic to ± xeric inland grasslands; British Columbia to California.
→ 2
2. Bracts pink to purple distally; stems unbranched or few-branched from mid stem; salt marshes; Humboldt Bay region, nw California.
var. humboldtiensis
2. Bracts white distally, rarely pink or cream; stems often branched from base; salt marshes, sandy coastal bluffs, inland grasslands; British Columbia to California.
→ 3
3. Corolla beaks usually white or yellow, abaxial lips yellow; salt marshes, sandy coastal bluffs, inland grasslands; s British Columbia to c California.
var. ambigua
3. Corolla beaks usually pink to purplish, abaxial lips yellow, becoming white and then red or soft pink-purple; grassy coastal bluffs and adjacent sand dunes; vicinity of Monterey Bay, California.
var. insalutata
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 593. FNA vol. 17, p. 584.
Parent taxa Orobanchaceae > Castilleja Orobanchaceae > Castilleja
Sibling taxa
C. affinis, C. ambigua, C. angustifolia, C. applegatei, C. aquariensis, C. arachnoidea, C. attenuata, C. brevilobata, C. brevistyla, C. campestris, C. cervina, C. chlorotica, C. christii, C. chromosa, C. chrymactis, C. chrysantha, C. cinerea, C. citrina, C. coccinea, C. collegiorum, C. covilleana, C. crista-galli, C. cryptantha, C. cusickii, C. densiflora, C. dissitiflora, C. disticha, C. elata, C. elegans, C. elmeri, C. exserta, C. flava, C. foliolosa, C. fraterna, C. genevieveana, C. glandulifera, C. gleasoni, C. gracillima, C. grisea, C. haydenii, C. hispida, C. hololeuca, C. hyperborea, C. indivisa, C. integra, C. kaibabensis, C. kerryana, C. kraliana, C. lacera, C. lanata, C. lasiorhyncha, C. lassenensis, C. latifolia, C. lemmonii, C. leschkeana, C. levisecta, C. linariifolia, C. lindheimeri, C. lineariloba, C. lineata, C. litoralis, C. lutescens, C. martini, C. mendocinensis, C. mexicana, C. miniata, C. minor, C. mogollonica, C. mollis, C. montigena, C. nana, C. nelsonii, C. nervata, C. nivea, C. occidentalis, C. oresbia, C. organorum, C. ornata, C. pallescens, C. pallida, C. parviflora, C. parvula, C. patriotica, C. peckiana, C. peirsonii, C. pilosa, C. plagiotoma, C. praeterita, C. pruinosa, C. puberula, C. pulchella, C. purpurascens, C. purpurea, C. raupii, C. revealii, C. rhexiifolia, C. rigida, C. rubicundula, C. rubida, C. rupicola, C. salsuginosa, C. scabrida, C. schizotricha, C. septentrionalis, C. sessiliflora, C. subinclusa, C. suksdorfii, C. tenuiflora, C. tenuis, C. thompsonii, C. tomentosa, C. uliginosa, C. unalaschcensis, C. victoriae, C. viscidula, C. wightii, C. wootonii, C. xanthotricha
C. affinis, C. angustifolia, C. applegatei, C. aquariensis, C. arachnoidea, C. attenuata, C. brevilobata, C. brevistyla, C. campestris, C. cervina, C. chambersii, C. chlorotica, C. christii, C. chromosa, C. chrymactis, C. chrysantha, C. cinerea, C. citrina, C. coccinea, C. collegiorum, C. covilleana, C. crista-galli, C. cryptantha, C. cusickii, C. densiflora, C. dissitiflora, C. disticha, C. elata, C. elegans, C. elmeri, C. exserta, C. flava, C. foliolosa, C. fraterna, C. genevieveana, C. glandulifera, C. gleasoni, C. gracillima, C. grisea, C. haydenii, C. hispida, C. hololeuca, C. hyperborea, C. indivisa, C. integra, C. kaibabensis, C. kerryana, C. kraliana, C. lacera, C. lanata, C. lasiorhyncha, C. lassenensis, C. latifolia, C. lemmonii, C. leschkeana, C. levisecta, C. linariifolia, C. lindheimeri, C. lineariloba, C. lineata, C. litoralis, C. lutescens, C. martini, C. mendocinensis, C. mexicana, C. miniata, C. minor, C. mogollonica, C. mollis, C. montigena, C. nana, C. nelsonii, C. nervata, C. nivea, C. occidentalis, C. oresbia, C. organorum, C. ornata, C. pallescens, C. pallida, C. parviflora, C. parvula, C. patriotica, C. peckiana, C. peirsonii, C. pilosa, C. plagiotoma, C. praeterita, C. pruinosa, C. puberula, C. pulchella, C. purpurascens, C. purpurea, C. raupii, C. revealii, C. rhexiifolia, C. rigida, C. rubicundula, C. rubida, C. rupicola, C. salsuginosa, C. scabrida, C. schizotricha, C. septentrionalis, C. sessiliflora, C. subinclusa, C. suksdorfii, C. tenuiflora, C. tenuis, C. thompsonii, C. tomentosa, C. uliginosa, C. unalaschcensis, C. victoriae, C. viscidula, C. wightii, C. wootonii, C. xanthotricha
Subordinate taxa
C. ambigua var. ambigua, C. ambigua var. humboldtiensis, C. ambigua var. insalutata, C. ambigua var. meadii
Name authority J. M. Egger & Meinke: Brittonia 51: 445, fig. 1. (1999) Hooker & Arnott: Bot. Beechey Voy., 154. (1833)
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