Flora of North America species comparison

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Castilleja thompsonii

Castilleja purpurascens

Thompson's Indian paintbrush, Thompson's owl clover, Thompson's paintbrush

yoho paintbrush
Habit Herbs, perennial, 0.8–4 dm; from a woody caudex; with a taproot. Herbs, perennial, (1.5–)2–4 dm; from a woody caudex; with branched, woody roots.
Stems

few to many, erect or ascending, unbranched or branched, hairs spreading, long, stiff, sometimes soft (especially in higher elevations), eglandular, mixed with shorter stipitate-glandular ones.

few or several, ascending to erect, branched or unbranched, shiny proximally, glabrous proximally, hairy distally, hairs spreading, long, soft, eglandular, sometimes sparsely glandular.
Leaves

green to purple or reddish brown, linear to narrowly oblong or linear-lanceolate, 1.4–7.4 cm, not fleshy, margins plane to ± wavy, involute or flat, 3(–7)-lobed, apex acuminate;

lobes spreading-ascending, linear, short to long moving up leaf axis, apex acute or obtuse.

deep purple to green, linear-lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, rarely broadly lanceolate, 1.5–4.5 cm, not fleshy, margins plane, flat or slightly involute, 0(–3)-lobed, apex usually acuminate or acute;

lobes upright or ascending, lanceolate, apex acute.
Inflorescences

2.5–14 × 1–4 cm;

bracts greenish to pale yellow or reddish brown throughout, or proximally greenish to dull reddish purple, or ruddy brown, distally greenish to yellow-green or yellow, often aging dull reddish to dull purplish, lanceolate to oblong to ovate, 3–5(–9)-lobed;

lobes spreading to ascending, linear to narrowly lanceolate, long, proximal lobes arising below mid length, apex acute to obtuse.

2–12 × 2–6 cm;

bracts deep reddish or crimson, rarely magenta or dull orange, or proximally greenish near base, distally colored as above, oblong to broadly lanceolate, often spreading from base and exposing calyces, 0–3(–5)-lobed;

lobes ascending to erect, linear, short to medium length, arising near or above mid length, apex acute to obtuse.
Corollas

straight, 18–21 mm;

tube 11–16 mm; subequal to calyx, sometimes beak exserted;

beak adaxially green, 5–7(–8) mm;

abaxial lip white, often proximally reddish, prominent, scarcely expanded, ± cylindric, 2.5–4(–5) mm, 50–70% as long as beak, glabrous or obscurely puberulent;

teeth incurved to erect, white, 2.5 mm.

straight to slightly curved, 20–37 mm;

tube 12–21 mm;

abaxial lip sometimes exserted, beak exserted;

beak adaxially green, 10–16 mm;

abaxial lip green, sometimes yellow, usually reduced, protruding through abaxial cleft, sometimes a little pouched, 3-lobed, 2–6 mm, 17–45% as long as beak;

teeth erect, green, whitish, or yellow, 1–1.5 mm.
Calyces

colored as bracts, 12–25 mm;

abaxial and adaxial clefts 4–8 mm, 20–60% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral (0–)1–3 mm, 7–25% of calyx length;

lobes linear, lanceolate, or triangular, apex acute, sometimes obtuse.

colored as bracts, 18–28 mm;

abaxial clefts 5–6 mm, adaxial 8–15 mm, clefts 28–50% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 1.5–6 mm, 5–25% of calyx length;

lobes long-triangular, apex acute.
2n

= 24, 48.

= 48.

Castilleja thompsonii

Castilleja purpurascens
Phenology Flowering Apr–Aug(–Sep). Flowering (May–)Jun–Jul.
Habitat Dry slopes, ridges, scabland lithosol soils, meadows, sagebrush steppes, valleys, montane to alpine. Gravel river flats, moist thickets.
Elevation 200–2100 m. (700–6900 ft.) 1200–2200 m. (3900–7200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AB; BC
Discussion

Castilleja thompsonii is a characteristic species of the sagebrush communities on the eastern slope of the Cascade Range in Washington, and in the high deserts of the Columbia Basin. Historically, its range approached but apparently never entered Idaho in the Spokane River valley, but much of its habitat in that area is now converted to agriculture or suburban development or overwhelmed by non-native, invasive plants. Castilleja thompsonii occurs in a few sites in the Okanogan Valley region of southern British Columbia and at one site on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range in Wasco County, Oregon. A distinctive form from the subalpine and alpine zones of Mt. Adams, in the southern Cascade Range of Washington, was named C. villicaulis. This form may merit varietal status under C. thompsonii. While both names were described in the same paper, C. thompsonii is the name used in all regional floras since their publication, after C. villicaulis was reduced to synonymy by M. Ownbey (1959).

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

Castilleja purpurascens is a species of gravelly flood plains and riverbanks at moderate elevations in the vicinity of the Kicking Horse River in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, and in immediately adjacent Alberta. While this tetraploid species may be derived from hybridization between C. miniata and C. rhexiifolia, its combination of traits is unique, and the species forms morphologically consistent populations limited to a habitat not particularly favored by either putative parent species. Very occasional hybrids are known with both C. lutescens and C. miniata.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 661. FNA vol. 17, p. 649.
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. rubida, C. rupicola, C. salsuginosa, C. scabrida, C. schizotricha, C. septentrionalis, C. sessiliflora, C. subinclusa, C. suksdorfii, C. tenuiflora, C. tenuis, 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. 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
Synonyms C. villicaulis
Name authority Pennell: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 99: 178. (1947) — (as thompsoni) Greenman: Bot. Gaz. 42: 146. (1906)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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