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alpine paintbrush, rhexia-leaf paintbrush, Rocky Mountain paintbrush, rosy paintbrush, split-leaf Indian paintbrush

Bryce Canyon Indian paintbrush, Reveal's paintbrush

Habit Herbs, perennial, (1–)2.5–6(–8) dm; from a woody caudex; with a taproot. Herbs, perennial, 0.8–1.5(–2) dm; from a woody caudex; with a taproot.
Stems

few to several, erect or ascending, unbranched, sometimes branched, proximally glabrous to glabrate, distally sparsely hairy, hairs spreading, ± long, soft, eglandular, sometimes stipitate-glandular.

solitary, sometimes few, erect or ascending, sometimes decumbent, unbranched, glabrous proximally, hairy distally, hairs retrorse or spreading, rarely appressed, short to medium length, soft, eglandular.

Leaves

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, green tinged with purple, or dull purple, linear to narrowly lanceolate, 1.7–3.5(–4.5) cm, not fleshy, margins plane, slightly involute, 0(–3)-lobed, apex acute;

lobes ascending, linear, mostly short, apex acute.

Inflorescences

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.

3.5–6.5 × 2–5 cm;

bracts magenta, rose red, lavender, or pink throughout, broadly lanceolate, oblong, or ovate, (0–)3(–5)-lobed;

lobes ascending to erect, linear to lanceolate, short, arising above, sometimes slightly below, mid length, center lobe apex rounded, lateral ones acute.

Corollas

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, 19–25(–27.5) mm;

tube 9–16 mm;

beak exserted, adaxially green, 7–10(–11.5) mm;

abaxial lip deep green or deep purple, slightly inflated, rounded, 1.5–2.5 mm, 20–30% as long as beak;

teeth usually ± incurved, magenta or deep green, 0.6–1.4(–2) mm.

Calyces

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, 16.5–22(–27) mm;

abaxial and adaxial clefts (8–)10–15(–18) mm, 33–40% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral (1.5–)3–6(–8) mm, 20–30% of calyx length;

lobes narrowly lanceolate to elliptic, apex acute, sometimes obtuse.

2n

= 24, 48, 96.

= 24.

Castilleja rhexiifolia

Castilleja revealii

Phenology Flowering (Mar–)May–Sep. Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Moist meadows, open forests, slopes and ridges, sun or shade, subalpine to alpine. Dry, gravelly openings and barrens in pine forests, limestone.
Elevation 1800–4000 m. (5900–13100 ft.) 2400–3100 m. (7900–10200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; ID; MT; NM; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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 revealii is a narrow endemic of limestone gravel barrens on the Markagunt and Paunsaugunt plateaus in and adjacent to the rim of Bryce Canyon National Park and Cedar Breaks National Monument in south-central Utah. It is also known from a single collection from the southwestern edge of the Aquarius Plateau. These xeric barrens have an extremely high amount of reflective sunlight and support few other plants.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 651. FNA vol. 17, p. 650.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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
Synonyms C. oregonensis C. parvula var. revealii
Name authority Rydberg: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 1: 356. (1900) — (as rhexifolia) N. H. Holmgren: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 100: 87, fig. 2. (1973)
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