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Castilleja chambersii

Chambers' Indian paintbrush, Chambers' paintbrush

Salmon Creek Indian paintbrush, Salmon Creek paintbrush

Habit Herbs, perennial, 1.5–3.7 dm; from a thick, woody caudex; with a taproot. Herbs, perennial, (1–)1.6–4.5 dm; from a woody caudex; with a taproot.
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.

several to many, ascending to erect, ± decumbent at base, branched or unbranched, sometimes with short, leafy axillary shoots, hairs spreading to ascending, long, soft to ± stiff, mixed with short-eglandular ones.

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.

purple or green, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, 3–5 cm, not fleshy, margins plane, partly involute, 3–5-lobed, apex acuminate, acute, or rounded;

lobes sometimes divergent, spreading-ascending, linear, apex obtuse to rounded.

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.

(2.5–)5–15 × 1.5–2 cm;

bracts proximally green to dull purplish, distally pale reddish purple, dull red, pale salmon, pale orange, or bright to pale yellow, oblong, 3(–5)-lobed;

lobes spreading to ascending, linear to oblanceolate, distal pair, if present, short and toothlike, short to long, arising at or above mid length, center lobe apex rounded to truncate, lateral lobes obtuse to rounded.

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, 11–16 mm;

tube 10–13 mm;

beak included or tip exserted;

beak adaxially green, 4–5 mm;

abaxial lip deep green, reduced, with narrow pouches, 2.5–3 mm, 30–45% as long as beak;

teeth reduced to minute apiculations, dark green, 0.5–1 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.

proximally usually whitish, distally colored as bracts, 13–18 mm;

abaxial and adaxial clefts 5–6(–9) mm, ca. 50% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 0.5–1.2 mm, ca. 18% of calyx length;

lobes ± hemispheric, segments often curved outwards, exposing corollas, apex rounded to obtuse, rarely acute.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Castilleja chambersii

Castilleja praeterita

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Turf or crevices on rocky slopes and benches over basalt, se to sw aspect, sun or partial shade. Dry gravelly meadows and flats, with Artemisia rothrockii, often over granite.
Elevation 600–1000 m. (2000–3300 ft.) 2200–3400 m. (7200–11200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[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.)

Castilleja praeterita is endemic to subalpine, sagebrush-dominated meadows in the southeastern Sierra Nevada of Inyo and Tulare counties. It is closely associated with and likely parasitic on Artemisia rothrockii. Inflorescence coloration varies by population, with some having only yellow-bracted plants, while others are pale orange to pale red with occasional pale yellow variants. Yet other populations have only pale salmon-colored bracts.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 593. FNA vol. 17, p. 646.
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. 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. 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
Name authority J. M. Egger & Meinke: Brittonia 51: 445, fig. 1. (1999) Heckard & Bacigalupi: Madroño 20: 209, fig. 1. (1970)
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