Castilleja rhexiifolia
Castilleja raupii
alpine paintbrush, rhexia-leaf paintbrush, Rocky Mountain paintbrush, rosy paintbrush, split-leaf Indian paintbrush
Raup's Indian paintbrush, Raup's 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 to ascending, unbranched or often branched distally, glabrous proximally or hairy, hairs sparse, retrorse, short, ± stiff proximally, distally ± dense, spreading, longer, soft, eglandular throughout.
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.
purple to green, linear to lanceolate-linear, 2–8(–13) cm, not fleshy, margins plane to slightly wavy, flat or slightly involute, 0-lobed, sometimes 3-lobed distally, immediately below inflorescence, apex narrowly acuminate to acute;
lobes ascending, linear, apex acute.
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.
2.5–12 × 1.5–3.5 cm;
bracts lavender, pink-purple, or reddish purple throughout, sometimes distally white, cream, or pale pink, lanceolate, oblong, broadly elliptic, or ovate, 0–5(–7)-lobed;
lobes spreading to ascending, linear to narrowly lanceolate, short, arising above mid length, central lobe apex acute to obtuse, lateral ones acute.
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 slightly curved, 15–20(–26) mm;
tube 10–13 mm;
beak and abaxial lip ± exserted;
beak adaxially green, 4–6.5 mm;
abaxial lip purple, magenta, or red, slightly inflated, pouches 3, 2–5 mm, 75–80% as long as beak;
teeth erect, magenta, pink, or red, 1–1.5 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.
colored as bracts, 13–20(–25) mm;
abaxial and adaxial clefts 6–11 mm, 50–60% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 0.5–3.5(–7) mm, ca. 25–30% of calyx length;
lobes lanceolate-linear, apex narrowly acute or acuminate.
= 24, 48, 96.
= 72.
Castilleja rhexiifolia
Castilleja raupii
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.)
Castilleja raupii is a member of the difficult C. pallida species complex. Castilleja raupii is widespread from southern Alaska to northern Alberta, northwards to the shore of the Arctic Sea, and east to the eastern shore of Hudson Bay. Reports from northeastern Russia are mostly referable to the similar Asian species, C. rubra (Drobow) Rebristaya. Castilleja raupii is sometimes confused with the partially sympatric C. elegans, but C. raupii is a taller plant with often somewhat branched, ascending-erect stems and is often found on more mesic substrates than C. elegans. The inflorescences of C. raupii are usually pink to pink-purple, but more variably colored populations are reported from the delta region of the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories of Canada.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
BC
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
SW CO Wildflowers
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
