Castilleja rhexiifolia
Castilleja applegatei
alpine paintbrush, rhexia-leaf paintbrush, Rocky Mountain paintbrush, rosy paintbrush, split-leaf Indian paintbrush
Applegate's Indian paintbrush, Applegate's paintbrush, wavy leaf paintbrush, wavy-leaf Indian paintbrush, waxy-leaf Indian paintbrush
few to several, erect or ascending, unbranched, sometimes branched, proximally glabrous to glabrate, distally sparsely hairy, hairs spreading, ± long, soft, eglandular, sometimes stipitate-glandular.
few to many, erect, ascending, or decumbent, unbranched or branched, hairs sparse to dense, spreading, long, soft to ± stiff, eglandular, mixed with shorter stipitate-glandular ones.
green or purple-tinged, linear, narrowly to broadly lanceolate, oblong, or ovate, 3–6(–7) cm, not fleshy, margins plane, flat to slightly involute, prominently veined, 0(–3)-lobed, apex acute to rarely obtuse;
lobes ascending or spreading, linear to filiform, much smaller than mid blade, short, apex acute.
green to purplish or brown, linear to broadly lanceolate, sometimes ovate, 1–6 cm, not fleshy, margins wavy, involute, (0–)3(–5)-lobed, apex rounded or narrowly acute to acuminate;
lobes spreading or ascending, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, often short, apex acute to rounded.
2.5–15 × 1.5–4.5 cm;
bracts pink-purple, red-purple, purple, or crimson throughout, rarely reddish, yellowish, or white throughout, or proximally greenish, dull brownish purple, or deep purple, distally colored as above, broadly lanceolate to ovate or obovate, (0–)3–5(–7)-lobed;
lobes ascending to erect, linear or lanceolate-acuminate, short, arising near or above mid length, central lobe apex obtuse to broadly rounded, lateral ones acute to sometimes rounded.
2–12(–21 in fruit) × 1–5 cm;
bracts proximally green to dull purplish brown, distally red, red-orange, or scarlet, sometimes orange, white, or yellow, rarely with a narrow yellowish band medially, lanceolate, broadly lanceolate, oblong, or lanceolate-ovate, 3–5(–7)-lobed;
lobes spreading to ascending, linear, sometimes expanded near tip, long, arising from ca. mid length, central lobe apex obtuse to rounded, sometimes expanded, others acute, rounded, obtuse, or acuminate.
straight, 15–30(–36) mm;
tube (11–)12–22(–24) mm;
beak exserted, adaxially green, yellow, or tinged with red, 7–12 mm;
abaxial lip deep green, reduced, 1.5–3.5 mm, to 33% as long as beak;
teeth incurved, green or white, 0.5–2 mm.
straight or curved in proximal 1/3, 16–35(–41) mm;
tube 9–22 mm;
beak usually long-exserted, adaxially green, yellow-green, or yellow, 6–20 mm;
abaxial lip deep green to whitish or yellow, reduced, inconspicuous, protuberant, thickened, included or exserted, 1–3 mm, 5–20% as long as beak;
teeth ascending or incurved, deep green to yellow, 0.5–1 mm.
proximally green, purplish, or whitish, distally colored as bracts, 15–25 mm;
abaxial and adaxial clefts 8–12(–15) mm, 40–50% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 2–5(–8) mm, 15–25(–30)% of calyx length;
lobes oblong to triangular or ovate, apex obtuse to rounded, sometimes acute.
proximally green or whitish, sometimes yellow, lobes colored as bract lobes, sometimes with a yellow band between proximal and distal portions, 13–25 mm;
abaxial and adaxial clefts 4–14 mm, 33–50% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 2.5–8 mm, 12–50% of calyx length;
lobes lanceolate-acuminate, narrowly oblong, or narrowly triangular, apex acuminate, acute, or obtuse.
= 24, 48, 96.
= 24, 48.
Castilleja rhexiifolia
Castilleja applegatei
Castilleja rhexiifolia is a characteristic and common paintbrush in the Rocky Mountains region, from central Alberta to northern New Mexico. Disjunct populations also occur in northeastern Oregon, in the Blue, Ochoco, and Wallowa mountains, as well as near the summit of Abercrombie Mountain in the Selkirk Mountains of northeastern Washington. The inflorescence colors are variable. Typical plants are red-purple. However, many other shades of pink-white, pink-purple, and crimson are common as well. Many populations contain a wide range of color variants. Intergradation is occasionally seen with C. miniata, C. occidentalis, and C. septentrionalis. However, for the most part, these four species remain distinct, and their ranges are not entirely overlapping. In the Wallowa Mountains, a recurrent and variable hybrid form between C. chrysantha and C. rhexiifolia was described as C. wallowensis Pennell. In the north Cascade Range of Washington, plants of C. elmeri with crimson inflorescences are sometimes identified as C. rhexiifolia. In Glacier National Park, Montana, in the vicinity of Logan Pass, C. rhexiifolia frequently hybridizes with C. occidentalis, creating a number of hybrid morphologies. Both of the parents are common in the area. Similar hybrids are also found in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 4 (4 in the flora).
Castilleja applegatei is a widespread and often common species, with complex patterns of variation and several common but inconstant color forms, especially in var. pinetorum. Castilleja disticha and C. martini, although sometimes included as subspecies within C. applegatei, are treated as species here. Both are more morphologically divergent and more easily distinguished from typical C. applegatei than are the four varieties accepted here. Variety pinetorum is the most widespread form and also occurs over a wider range of elevations than the other three varieties, which are primarily montane to subalpine and occasionally alpine.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Corollas 25–41 mm, beaks 9–20 mm, tubes 15–22 mm; leaves usually 0–3-lobed. | → 2 |
2. Corollas 34–41 mm; herbs 1–2.5(–3.5) dm; 2100–2800 m; Crater Lake to Newberry Crater, Cascade Range, Oregon. | var. applegatei |
2. Corollas 25–35 mm; herbs 1.2–6 dm; 300–3600 m; California to Oregon and Idaho. | var. pinetorum |
1. Corollas 16–31 mm, beaks 6–14 mm, tubes 9–14 mm; leaves usually 3–5-lobed. | → 3 |
3. Corolla beaks 6–10 mm; abaxial and adaxial calyx clefts (4–)5–8(–10) mm. | var. breweri |
3. Corolla beaks 9–14 mm; abaxial and adaxial calyx clefts 7–14 mm. | var. viscida |
BC
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
SW CO Wildflowers
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
CA
