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Castilleja pilosa var. steenensis

Steen's Mountain paintbrush, Steens Indian paintbrush

hairy paintbrush, parrot-head Indian paintbrush, pilose paintbrush

Habit Herbs, perennial, (0.7–)1.2–3.5(–4.4) dm; from a woody caudex; with a stout taproot.
Stems

hairs retrorse or spreading, ± curved, stiff, 0.5–0.8(–1) mm.

several to many, ascending to erect, sometimes short-decumbent, branched or unbranched, sometimes with short, leafy axillary shoots, hairs moderately dense, retrorse or curved to spreading, straight, curly, or ± wavy, medium length to long, soft to stiff, eglandular.

Leaves

lobes widely spreading.

green to purple, linear to lanceolate, 1–5.5(–8) cm, not fleshy, margins plane to ± wavy, involute, 0–5(–7)-lobed, apex acuminate to obtuse;

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

Inflorescences

2.5–10 cm;

bracts proximally greenish, light dusky pink, or salmon, with margins or distal portions the same color or yellow or white, 3–5-lobed;

lobes spreading to ascending, short to long, arising below mid length.

(2–)3.5–16 × 1–3.5 cm;

bracts light green, green, yellow-green, light purple, purple, light dusky pink, salmon, or reddish brown throughout, or these colors proximally, distally or on distal margins white, pale yellow, yellow, pale salmon, or buff, sometimes becoming reddish purple with age, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate or narrowly ovate, 3–5(–9)-lobed, often wavy-margined;

lobes spreading to erect or ascending, linear to oblanceolate, short to long, arising near or above mid length, sometimes wavy-margined, central lobe apex obtuse to rounded or truncate, sometimes acute, lateral ones acute to obtuse.

Corolla(s)

beaks 4.5–6.5 mm;

abaxial lip purple or pink, sometimes pale yellow, distally sometimes white, 3.5–6 mm, 75–100% as long as beak;

teeth white or pale yellow.

straight, 14–23 mm;

tube 10–15;

abaxial lip sometimes partially exserted, beak exserted;

beak adaxially green or yellow-green, 3–7 mm;

abaxial lip proximally green, pale yellow, pale or bright pink, or deep purple, distally white to pink or purplish, inflated, pouches 3, deeply furrowed, 2.5–8 mm, 50–100% as long as beak;

teeth erect, green, white, buff, pink, or pale yellow, 1–2 mm.

Calyces

(12–)14–20(–28) mm;

abaxial and adaxial clefts 5–12 mm, 45–50% of calyx length, lateral 5–12 mm, 45–50% of calyx length;

lobes linear to lanceolate.

proximally whitish to pale green, distally green, whitish, pink, or yellowish, 9–28 mm; all 4 clefts subequal, 2–12 mm, 45–55% of calyx length;

lobes linear to narrowly lanceolate or narrowly triangular, rarely deltoid, apex acute, rarely rounded.

2n

= 24, 48, 96.

Castilleja pilosa var. steenensis

Castilleja pilosa

Phenology Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Rocky slopes, ledges, dry meadows, sagebrush steppes, subalpine to alpine, volcanic soils.
Elevation (1900–)2000–2900 m. ((6200–)6600–9500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Variety steenensis is endemic to the upper elevations of Steens Mountain in Harney County. It appears distinct when seen in its dwarfed form on the highest slopes; some transitional plants exist at lower elevations where it encounters var. pilosa. Genetic studies of this complex are in progress.

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

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Castilleja pilosa is a widespread and variable complex similar in growth form and coloration to C. pallescens and related species. However, C. pilosa is distinguished with relative ease by its subequally divided calyces. Plants of the C. pallescens complex have very shallow lateral calyx lobes.

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

Key
1. Calyces 9–15(–20) mm; c, se Idaho, nw Wyoming, adjacent Montana.
var. longispica
1. Calyces (11–)14–28 mm; ne California, nw Nevada, e Oregon.
→ 2
2. Stem hairs spreading, ± wavy or curly, soft, (0.4–)0.8–1.3(–1.5) mm; sagebrush steppes, rocky slopes, ridges, seasonally moist meadows or pools, conifer forests, montane to subalpine; 500–2000(–3500) m; ne California, nw Nevada, e Oregon.
var. pilosa
2. Stem hairs retrorse or spreading, ± curved, stiff, 0.5–0.8(–1) mm; rocky slopes, ledges, dry meadows, sagebrush steppes, subalpine to alpine, volcanic soils; (1900–)2000–2900 m; Steens Mountain, se Oregon.
var. steenensis
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 645. FNA vol. 17, p. 644.
Parent taxa Orobanchaceae > Castilleja > Castilleja pilosa Orobanchaceae > Castilleja
Sibling taxa
C. pilosa var. longispica, C. pilosa var. pilosa
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. 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. pilosa var. longispica, C. pilosa var. pilosa, C. pilosa var. steenensis
Synonyms C. steenensis Orthocarpus pilosus
Name authority (Pennell) N. H. Holmgren: in A. Cronquist et al., Intermount. Fl. 4: 480. (1984) (S. Watson) Rydberg: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 1: 361. (1900)
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