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Arizona or southern mountains paintbrush, Rincon Mountain Indian paintbrush

magenta paintbrush, mountain Indian paintbrush, mountain or rosy or small-flower paintbrush, small-flower paintbrush

Habit Herbs, perennial, 2.5–8(–10) dm; from a woody caudex; with a taproot or branched root system. Herbs, perennial, (0.6–)1–4(–5) dm; from a woody caudex; with a taproot or stout, branched roots.
Stems

few to many, ascending to erect, unbranched or often strongly and diffusely branched distally, hairs sparse to dense, spreading to matted, long proximally on stem, becoming puberulent distally, ± stiff, eglandular, often mixed with retrorse shorter ones.

several or many, erect or ascending, unbranched except for short, leafy axillary shoots, glabrate proximally, hairy distally, hairs sparse, spreading, ± matted, long, soft, minute-glandular.

Leaves

green, linear-lanceolate or narrowly to broadly lanceolate, 2–6.5(–8) cm, not fleshy, margins plane, flat to involute, 0(–3)-lobed, apex acute;

lobes ascending, lanceolate, apex acute to obtuse.

green or gray-green to purple-tinged or deep purple, often blackening on drying, narrowly to broadly lanceolate or elliptic, rarely linear, 1.5–5 cm, not fleshy, margins plane, sometimes ± wavy, flat, (0–)3–9-lobed, apex acute to acuminate or obtuse;

lobes spreading or ascending, linear, sometimes lanceolate, much narrower than terminal lobe, evenly spaced, short, apex acute.

Inflorescences

(2.5–)5–15 × 2–4.5 cm;

bracts proximally greenish, distally scarlet to red or orange-red, rarely yellow or crimson, veins usually yellow or yellow-green, contrasting conspicuously with base color, lanceolate or elliptic to oblanceolate or obovate, 0–3(–5)-lobed;

lobes ascending, lanceolate to triangular, medium length, arising above mid length, apex rounded to obtuse.

2–16 × 1–3.5 cm;

bracts proximally greenish, dull, deep purple, or reddish purple, distally pink, pink-purple, magenta, deep rose, crimson, cream, or white, sometimes red, pale orange, or red-orange, lanceolate to broadly elliptic or ovate, 3–7-lobed;

lobes spreading to ascending, linear, lanceolate, or lanceolate-acuminate, short to medium length, arising at or near mid length, apex obtuse to acute, central lobes sometimes rounded.

Corollas

slightly curved, 15–35 mm, subequal to calyx or beak partially to strongly exserted;

tube 15–17 mm;

beak adaxially yellowish green, 10–16 mm;

abaxial lip green, reduced, ± pouched, 0.5–1.5 mm, 4–10% as long as beak;

teeth incurved, deep green, 0.7–1 mm.

straight or slightly curved, 12–30 mm;

tube 8–19 mm;

beak exserted or subequal to calyx, adaxially green-yellowish or red, 5.5–11 mm;

abaxial lip green, brown, or yellow, sometimes purple, reduced, slightly or not inflated and pouched, 1–3 mm, 20–45% as long as beak;

teeth erect, green, white, yellow, pink, or red, 0.5–2 mm.

Calyces

mostly yellowish throughout, with a thin reddish apex, 15–27 mm;

abaxial clefts (5–)9–11 mm, adaxial 4.5–9.5 mm, clefts 25–50% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 2–4 mm, 10–20% of calyx length;

lobes linear-lanceolate to triangular, apex acute to acuminate, rarely ± obtuse.

colored as bracts, 12–28 mm;

abaxial and adaxial clefts 6–15 mm, 40–70% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 1–8 mm, 10–35% of calyx length;

lobes narrowly to broadly triangular, sometimes distally expanded and flaring, petaloid, apex obtuse or acute, sometimes rounded.

2n

= 24.

= 24, 48.

Castilleja nelsonii

Castilleja parviflora

Phenology Flowering Jun–Oct.
Habitat Rocky slopes, meadows, riparian zones, moist ground in open forests, montane to subalpine.
Elevation 1900–3100 m. (6200–10200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Nayarit, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AK; OR; WA; AB; BC; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Castilleja nelsonii is fairly common in the upper elevations of the so-called sky island ranges from central and eastern Arizona to adjacent New Mexico, southward into the Sierra Madre Occidental, at least as far south as southern Chihuahua, where the type collection was obtained on Cerro Mohinora. Although it was long known in the United States as C. austromontana, the name C. nelsonii has priority. Some specimens from southern Coconino County, Arizona, approach C. miniata, but most material is easily separable. Castilleja nelsonii occasionally hybridizes with C. mogollonica in Apache County, Arizona, near the border of the range of the former.

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

Varieties 4 (4 in the flora).

Castilleja parviflora is a complex, geographically widespread, and often misunderstood species ranging from southeastern Alaska through much of British Columbia, southwestern Yukon, and the Rocky Mountains of extreme western Alberta and southward in the Cascade Range to central Oregon.

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

Key
1. Corollas (18–)20–30 mm; calyces 20–28 mm; leaves (0–)3(–5)-lobed; Oregon, Washington.
var. oreopola
1. Corollas 12–20(–25) mm; calyces 12–20(–28) mm; leaves (0–)3–9-lobed; Washington to Alaska, Alberta, and Yukon.
→ 2
2. Bracts distally white to cream, sometimes suffused with pink to purple; herbs 0.6–2.7 dm; n Cascade Range, Washington and s British Columbia.
var. albida
2. Bracts distally pink-purple, magenta, deep rose, or crimson, rarely white; herbs 1.2–5 dm; Olympic Mountains, Washington, w Canada, se Alaska.
→ 3
3. Leaves (3–)5–9-lobed; corolla beaks 5.5–7 mm; Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Alaska.
var. parviflora
3. Leaves (0–)3(–5)-lobed; corolla beaks (5.5–)7–9(–11) mm; s Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Olympic Mountains, Washington.
var. olympica
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 633. FNA vol. 17, p. 640.
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. 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. 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. 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. parviflora var. albida, C. parviflora var. olympica, C. parviflora var. oreopola, C. parviflora var. parviflora
Synonyms C. austromontana
Name authority Eastwood: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 44: 579. (1909) Bongard: Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-Pétersbourg, sér. 6, Sci. Math. 2(2): 158. (1832)
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