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Christ's Indian paintbrush, John Christ's paintbrush

Mogollon or White Mountains paintbrush

Habit Herbs, perennial, 1.4–3 dm; from a woody caudex; with a taproot. Herbs, perennial, 2.5–5 dm; from a woody caudex; with a taproot.
Stems

several, erect to ascending, unbranched, sometimes branched, glabrous or hairs spreading, short and long, ± stiff, sometimes stipitate-glandular especially distally.

few to several, ascending to erect, unbranched or branched distally, sometimes with a few small, leafy axillary shoots, hairs spreading, long, soft, eglandular.

Leaves

green, narrowly to broadly lanceolate, (1–)2–5(–6) cm, not fleshy, margins plane, flat or involute, (0–)3(–5)-lobed, apex acute to rounded;

lobes erect or ascending, linear, lanceolate, or triangular, sometimes very small, apex acute to rounded.

green to purple-tinged, sometimes purple, narrowly to broadly lanceolate, 2.5–5 cm, not fleshy, margins plane, sometimes ± wavy, flat, 0(–5)-lobed, apex acuminate;

lobes ascending-spreading, linear to narrowly lanceolate, apex acute.

Inflorescences

3–6 × 2–4 cm;

bracts proximally greenish, distally pale orange or pale yellow, sometimes red-orange, lanceolate or narrowly elliptic to ovate, sometimes obovate, 3–5-lobed;

lobes ascending, linear, medium length to long, arising at or below mid length, apex acute to obtuse.

3–15 × 2–4 cm;

bracts proximally greenish, distally yellow-green, green, pale yellow, cream, or pale orange, often tinged with bright orange along margins, aging dull pink, broadly lanceolate to oblong or obovate, (0–)3–5(–7)-lobed;

lobes ascending to erect, linear to narrowly lanceolate, medium length, arising above or below mid length, central lobe apex rounded to obtuse, lateral ones usually acute.

Corollas

straight, 20–30 mm;

tube 12–19 mm;

beak exserted, adaxially green, 7–12 mm;

abaxial lip green, reduced, included or visible through cleft, 1.5–2 mm, 10–20% as long as beak;

teeth incurved, deep green, 1.5 mm.

straight, (15–)17–27 mm;

tube 11–12 mm;

beak exserted, adaxially green, 9–10 mm;

abaxial lip green, reduced, visible in front cleft, 0.5–2 mm, 10–20% as long as beak;

teeth incurved to erect, green, 0.5–1 mm.

Calyces

colored as bracts, 17–22(–24) mm;

abaxial clefts 9–12(–13) mm, adaxial 7–11 mm, clefts 50% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 2–6.5(–8.5) mm, 20–50% of calyx length;

lobes lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, apex acute to obtuse.

colored as bracts, 13–20 mm;

abaxial and adaxial clefts 5–9 mm, 33–50% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 1–2 mm, 7–25% of calyx length;

lobes oblong, apex acute to rounded.

2n

= 24, 48.

Castilleja christii

Castilleja mogollonica

Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul. Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Gentle slopes, mostly northern aspect, in herbaceous or grassy subalpine to alpine meadows, sagebrush openings and swales, snowbank communities, over quartzite. Subalpine wet meadows and springs, mixed conifer forests, volcanic soils.
Elevation 2100–2900 m. (6900–9500 ft.) 2600–2900 m. (8500–9500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
ID
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Castilleja christii is endemic to subalpine meadows near the summit of Mt. Harrison in the Albion Mountains, Cassia County. Morphologically, it most closely resembles the widespread C. hispida var. acuta, but a recent molecular study (D. L. Clay et al. 2012) presents clear evidence for a homoploid hybrid origin for the species, incorporating portions of the genomes of C. linariifolia and C. miniata. This is the first documented case of homoploid origin in Castilleja.

Castilleja christii is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

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

Castilleja mogollonica is endemic to the Mogollon Rim in the White Mountains of Apache County. It is frequently confused with the widespread C. septentrionalis but is amply distinct therefrom. This species faces threats from grazing, road building, and recreational activities. It occasionally hybridizes with C. nelsonii.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 595. FNA vol. 17, p. 632.
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. chambersii, C. chlorotica, 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. 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
Name authority N. H. Holmgren: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 100: 91, fig. 5. (1973) Pennell: Notul. Nat. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 237: 1. (1951)
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