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Castilleja chambersii

Chambers' Indian paintbrush, Chambers' paintbrush

annual paintbrush, California threadtorch, lesser Indian paintbrush, little paintbrush, seep paintbrush, thread-torch paintbrush

Habit Herbs, perennial, 1.5–3.7 dm; from a thick, woody caudex; with a taproot. Herbs, annual, 2–10(–15) dm; with a short taproot or small, fibrous root system.
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.

solitary or few, erect, unbranched, rarely branched distally, hairs sparse to dense, spreading, sometimes shaggy (var. minor), short to long, soft to stiff, eglandular and/or sparsely to densely stipitate-glandular.

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 purple to ± gray, linear to lanceolate, 2–10 cm, not fleshy, margins plane, sometimes wavy, ± involute, 0-lobed, apex acuminate to acute, sometimes 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.

5–40 × 1–4 cm;

bracts proximally greenish, distally red, red-orange, or pale orange, rarely yellow, on apices, narrowly lanceolate, sometimes narrowly oblong to spatulate distally, 0-lobed, plane-margined, apex acuminate (oblong to narrowly spatulate in var. spiralis).

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, 13–39 mm;

tube 11–16(–20) mm;

beak partially to completely exserted, sometimes included, adaxially yellow, pale orange to red-orange, reddish brown, green, or white, 5–15(–20) mm;

abaxial lip yellow, white, red, deep red, red-violet, or green, colored as or strongly contrasting with rest of corolla, small but jutting out at 90° from axis of corolla, often readily visible through abaxial cleft, 1–3 mm, 5–25% as long as beak;

teeth spreading to strongly incurved, green, white, yellow, red, or red-purple, 0.2–1 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 or yellowish green, 13–27(–28) mm;

abaxial and adaxial clefts 6–15 mm, 33–75% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 0.5–4 mm, 5–20% of calyx length;

lobes linear to narrowly triangular or narrowly lanceolate, apex acute or acuminate.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Castilleja chambersii

Castilleja minor

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
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC; nw Mexico
[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 minor is a widespread specialist of seeps, saline shores, and wet ground at moderate elevations. California has many populations on serpentine substrates. Most of the varieties have distinct ranges with little overlap, with the exception of the edaphic obligate var. spiralis, which is restricted to serpentine substrates.

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

Key
1. Corolla beaks 5–8(–10) mm, usually 1/3 or less of length of corollas, included to more often partially exserted from calyces.
→ 2
2. Abaxial lips of corollas red to reddish purple; leaves linear or linear-lanceolate, soft; mountains of c, e Arizona and adjacent New Mexico southward.
var. minor
2. Abaxial lips of corollas whitish, pale green, or pale yellowish; leaves linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, coarse; widespread in Great Basin region.
var. exilis
1. Corolla beaks 8–15(–20) mm, usually 1/3+ of length of corollas, exserted from calyces.
→ 3
3. Proximal bracts narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate, distals oblong to narrowly spatulate, apices rounded or obtuse, rarely acute; abaxial lips of corollas red.
var. spiralis
3. Bracts linear to narrowly lanceolate, apices acuminate; abaxial lips of corollas whitish, rarely greenish or pale yellow (sometimes red in c Arizona).
var. stenantha
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 593. FNA vol. 17, p. 630.
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. ambigua, 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. 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. minor var. exilis, C. minor var. minor, C. minor var. spiralis, C. minor var. stenantha
Synonyms C. affinis var. minor
Name authority J. M. Egger & Meinke: Brittonia 51: 445, fig. 1. (1999) (A. Gray) A. Gray: in W. H. Brewer et al., Bot. California 1: 573. (1876) — (as Castilleia)
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