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little reddish Indian paintbrush, purple alpine paintbrush, purple paintbrush, Wallowa alpine paintbrush

Applegate's Indian paintbrush, Applegate's paintbrush, wavy leaf paintbrush, wavy-leaf Indian paintbrush, waxy-leaf Indian paintbrush

Habit Herbs, perennial, 0.5–1.5 dm; from a woody caudex; with a taproot. Herbs, perennial, (0.8–)1–5(–6) dm; from a branched, woody caudex; with a taproot.
Stems

several, decumbent, or ascending, unbranched, hairs moderately dense, spreading, short and long, soft, eglandular and 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.

Leaves

green to purple, linear to narrowly lanceolate, 0.7–3.2 cm, not fleshy, margins plane, slightly involute, 3–5-lobed, apex narrowly acute to acuminate;

lobes ascending-spreading, narrowly linear to filiform, often curling, often short, apex acute or obtuse.

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.

Inflorescences

2.5–6 × 1–2 cm;

bracts purple, deep burgundy, or lavender throughout, rarely pink or yellowish white throughout, sometimes pink or dull whitish on distal margins and apices, oblong, 3–5(–7)-lobed;

lobes spreading, linear, medium length, proximal lobes arising below mid length, center lobe apex rounded to obtuse, lateral ones acute to obtuse.

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.

Corollas

straight, 12–15 mm;

tube 14–16 mm;

abaxial lip and beak exserted;

beak adaxially green, 5–6 mm;

abaxial lip colored as distal portion of bracts, prominent, pouches 3, central one grooved, pouches not strongly inflated, 4–5 mm, 80–100% as long as beak;

teeth erect, appressed to beak, colored as distal portions of bracts, 1.5–2.5 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.

Calyces

colored as bracts, 10–12 mm; all 4 clefts subequal, 3.5–6.5 mm, 35–55% of calyx length;

lobes broadly linear or linear-triangular, apex obtuse to 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.

Stigmas

green.

2n

= 24, 48.

Castilleja rubida

Castilleja applegatei

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Rocky slopes, ledges, dry to moist gravelly flats and ridges, alpine, limestone, rarely on river cobbles at lower elevations.
Elevation 2200–3000 m. (7200–9800 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Castilleja rubida is a rare alpine species endemic to a few limestone peaks in the Wallowa Mountains of northeastern Oregon, entirely within the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area. It is likely derived from the C. nana complex, found in the mountains of eastern California and Nevada, but it is amply distinct. Due to its very limited range and small population numbers, C. rubida is a species of conservation concern.

(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.)

Key
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
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 653. FNA vol. 17, p. 587.
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. rhexiifolia, C. rigida, C. rubicundula, 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. 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. 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. applegatei var. applegatei, C. applegatei var. breweri, C. applegatei var. pinetorum, C. applegatei var. viscida
Name authority Piper: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 27: 398. (1900) — (as Castilleia) Fernald: Erythea 6: 49. (1898) — (as Castilleia)
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