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

entireleaf Indian paintbrush, Texas paintbrush

Habit Herbs, perennial, 0.5–1.5 dm; from a woody caudex; with a taproot. Herbs, annual, (0.5–)1–4.5 dm; with a taproot or branched root system.
Stems

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

solitary or few, erect, unbranched or 1–4 branches from proximal 1/2, hairs spreading, long, soft, often 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, not forming a distinct basal rosette, sometimes relatively dense proximally with short internodes, similar in size and shape to more distal cauline leaves, narrowly lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, (1.5–)2–8(–9) cm, not fleshy, margins wavy, sometimes plane, involute, 0(–5)-lobed, apex acute;

lobes erect, linear or filiform to narrowly lanceolate, apex acute to acuminate.

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.

2–16(–20) × 3–5.5 cm;

bracts proximally greenish, distally scarlet or bright red, sometimes deep to pale pink, peach, yellow, white, or magenta, sometimes with a white to rarely yellow medial band between green and brightly colored distal portion, proximal narrowly lanceolate, distal shorter and oblong-obovate, broadly obovate, or obtrullate, 0(–5)-lobed;

lobes erect or ascending, triangular, short, arising above mid length, proximal bract apex acute, distal obtuse, rounded, or truncate.

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.

curved in proximal 1/3, 15–29 mm;

tube 2–3.5 mm;

whole corolla included or beak partly exserted, abaxial lip included;

beak adaxially green, yellow, or pink, 4–10 mm;

abaxial lip green, white, or yellow, reduced, pouches 3, 2 mm, 25–30% as long as beak;

teeth erect, green, white, or yellow, 0.5 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 light green, distally red, pale pink, or white, rarely pale yellow, usually paler than bracts, often with a white to yellow medial band between green and brightly colored distal portion, 16–31 mm;

abaxial and adaxial clefts 6–10 mm, 25–33% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 0(–0.2) mm, 0(–4)% of calyx length;

lobes expanded distally, apices much wider than narrow calyx tube, apex rounded, truncate, or emarginate.

Stigmas

green.

2n

= 24.

Castilleja rubida

Castilleja indivisa

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jan–Jun(–Dec).
Habitat Rocky slopes, ledges, dry to moist gravelly flats and ridges, alpine, limestone, rarely on river cobbles at lower elevations. Grasslands, pastures, dunes, oak savannas, limestone glades, open woodlands, roadsides, often in sand or clay.
Elevation 2200–3000 m. (7200–9800 ft.) 0–400 m. (0–1300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; LA; OK; TX; Mexico (Aguascalientes, Chihuahua)
[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.)

Castilleja indivisa is native in Texas and adjacent states. In Mexico it is rare, with collections only from two states; these are likely waifs. This species is possibly extirpated from Arkansas. Records from Alabama (starting in 1995) and Florida (starting in 1961) are adventive populations, often on roadsides, and in some cases spreading from ornamental highway plantings. Castilleja indivisa usually has bright red bract apices and red, white, or pale pink calyx apices, but many color variants are found in nature and in cultivation, including individuals with the distal portion of the bracts colored white, pink, pale yellow, peach, or, very rarely, magenta. Uniformly white-bracted populations occur on the margins of tidal salt marshes in a small area of Nueces County, Texas, between Aransas Pass and Port Aransas. These populations likely deserve nomenclatural recognition, due to their combination of consistent coloration and unique habitat. While the main bloom period is in the spring, summer rains often allow continuing or renewed flowering during virtually any month of the year. Occasionally, plants show variation in leaf lobing; this likely reflects introgression from the C. purpurea complex, at least in some cases, such as in Coleman and McCullough counties, Texas.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 653. FNA vol. 17, p. 615.
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. 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. 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
Name authority Piper: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 27: 398. (1900) — (as Castilleia) Engelmann: Boston J. Nat. Hist. 5: 255. (1845)
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