Flora of North America species comparison

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Castilleja thompsonii

Castilleja tenuis

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

annual white paintbrush, hairy Indian paintbrush, hairy owl's-clover, hairy owl-clover, hairy paintbrush, slender paintbrush, thin paintbrush
Habit Herbs, perennial, 0.8–4 dm; from a woody caudex; with a taproot. Herbs, annual, 0.45–5.2 dm; with a slender taproot or branched root system.
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.

solitary, erect, unbranched or with few upright branches, hairs spreading, long, soft, mixed with shorter, eglandular and glandular ones.
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.

green to brown, proximal linear, distal lanceolate, 0.7–4(–8) cm, not fleshy, margins plane, flat, 0–3(–5)-lobed, apex acuminate;

lobes ascending-spreading, very long linear, 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.

2–25 × 1–3 cm;

bracts green, sometimes proximally green, distally dull brownish to deep purplish brown, lanceolate to narrowly ovate or ovate, (3–)5–7(–9)-lobed;

lobes ascending to erect, linear or narrowly lanceolate, long, proximal lobes arising below mid length, apex acute to acuminate.
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 ± curved distally, 12–20 mm;

tube 9–14 mm;

abaxial lip and beak exserted;

beak adaxially white or pale yellowish, 3.5–5 mm, inconspicuously puberulent;

abaxial lip white or yellow, 3 small red-brown dots near base, inflated, pouches 3, 2–4 mm wide, 2 mm deep, 2–4 mm, 50–70% as long as beak;

teeth erect, white or yellow, 0.5–1 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.

green to brownish, margins sometimes deep purple or brown, 6–12 mm;

abaxial and adaxial clefts 2–5 mm, 33–50% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 2–3.5 mm, 30–40% of calyx length;

lobes linear to narrowly lanceolate, apex acute to acuminate.
Stigmas

included within beak.
2n

= 24, 48.

= 24, 48.

Castilleja thompsonii

Castilleja tenuis
Phenology Flowering Apr–Aug(–Sep). Flowering Feb–Sep.
Habitat Dry slopes, ridges, scabland lithosol soils, meadows, sagebrush steppes, valleys, montane to alpine. Moist flats, vernal pools, springs, damp meadows and ditches, riparian zones, sometimes over serpentine.
Elevation 200–2100 m. (700–6900 ft.) 200–2800 m. (700–9200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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 tenuis is restricted to the east side of the Cascade Range in British Columbia and Washington and also occurs west of the Cascade-Sierra axis in the more arid terrain of California and Oregon. Plants in the Umpqua and Willamette valleys of western Oregon are often taller, more robust, and with slightly larger flowers than is typical in other regions. There are two color forms, with white or yellow corollas, but most individual populations are consistently unicolored. More investigation is needed to determine if corolla color is influenced by genetic and/or environmental factors. There is some evidence (T. I. Chuang and L. R. Heckard 1982) that the colors are correlated to chromosome number, with the white-flowered plants being diploid, while the yellow-flowered plants are tetraploid; however, there are exceptions. D. D. Keck (1927) cited some evidence for seasonal change, with yellow flowers occurring early, replaced with white flowers later in the season. However, no unequivocal evidence exists to support this hypothesis, and the apparently complete absence of yellow-flowered plants in Oregon makes this an unlikely explanation. Cropping by grazing animals results in occasional plants that branch. Plants with slightly curved corolla beaks were described as Orthocarpus falcatus but have no geographic integrity or taxonomic significance. Castilleja tenuis was collected as a waif in Skagway, Alaska, a century ago.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 661. FNA vol. 17, p. 660.
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. 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. thompsonii, C. tomentosa, C. uliginosa, C. unalaschcensis, C. victoriae, C. viscidula, C. wightii, C. wootonii, C. xanthotricha
Synonyms C. villicaulis Orthocarpus tenuis, O. falcatus, O. hispidus
Name authority Pennell: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 99: 178. (1947) — (as thompsoni) (A. Heller) T. I. Chuang & Heckard: Syst. Bot. 16: 658. (1991)
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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