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Castilleja chambersii

Chambers' Indian paintbrush, Chambers' paintbrush

Victoria owl-clover, Victoria paintbrush, Victoria's owl's-clover, Victoria's owl-clover, Victoria's paintbrush

Habit Herbs, perennial, 1.5–3.7 dm; from a thick, woody caudex; with a taproot. Herbs, annual, 0.2–2 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.

solitary, erect, unbranched, sometimes branched, hairs spreading, long, soft, mixed with short stipitate-glandular 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.

usually brownish throughout, sometimes greenish proximally, brownish distally, margins deep brown, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 0.5–2.7 cm, not fleshy, margins plane, involute, 0–3(–5)-lobed, apex acute;

lobes spreading-ascending, linear to lanceolate, apex acute, obtuse, or 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.

1–5 × 1.5–3 cm;

bracts dull reddish brown throughout, or proximally dull greenish, distally dull reddish brown, narrowly ovate, 3–7-lobed;

lobes ascending, lanceolate, medium length, arising near or above mid length, apex broadly acute or 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, 10–18 mm;

tube 9–13 mm;

abaxial lip and beak exserted;

beak adaxially white, sometimes faintly diffuse purple, 3 mm, inconspicuously puberulent, hairs short stipitate-glandular;

abaxial lip yellowish, cream, or soft pale yellow, lacking spots, moderately conspicuous, pouches 3, conspicuous, 1–3 mm deep, central one furrowed, conspicuous, 2–2.5 mm, 60–75% as long as beak;

teeth erect, white or cream, 0.5–0.8 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.

colored as bracts, 8–12 mm;

abaxial and adaxial clefts 5–6 mm, 50% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 3–4 mm, 30–40% of calyx length;

lobes linear-lanceolate, apex acute.

Stigmas

included in beak.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Castilleja chambersii

Castilleja victoriae

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering (Apr–)May–Jul.
Habitat Turf or crevices on rocky slopes and benches over basalt, se to sw aspect, sun or partial shade. Vernal pools, springs, windswept, thin-soiled rocky knolls and benches by sea, gneiss.
Elevation 600–1000 m. (2000–3300 ft.) 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WA; BC
[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 victoriae was first collected in 1893 but not described until 2008. It is restricted to the southernmost tip of Vancouver Island, near Oak Bay, and to several small adjacent islands within a 30 km radius in British Columbia and Washington. Its primary habitat is small depressions and vernal pools on gentle gradients within 100 m of the sea, making it particularly vulnerable to development and recreational conflicts. Never common, several historic populations near Victoria were extirpated before the species was recognized. The majority of the global population is found on Trial Island. All known extant populations would be inundated by projected sea level increases and storm surges due to climate change. It should be considered globally endangered.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 593. FNA vol. 17, p. 663.
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. 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. viscidula, C. wightii, C. wootonii, C. xanthotricha
Name authority J. M. Egger & Meinke: Brittonia 51: 445, fig. 1. (1999) Fairbarns & J. M. Egger: Madroño 54: 335, figs. 1, 3 [lower right]. (2008)
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