Castilleja parviflora
Encyclopedia
Castilleja parviflora is a species of Indian paintbrush
known by the common name mountain Indian paintbrush. It is native to western North America from Alaska
to California
, where it grows in high mountain habitat, including areas of alpine climate
.
is made up of layers of bract
s tipped in shades of pale yellow to bright red or pink. Between the bracts emerge the yellow-green, sometimes red-tinted, tubular flowers.
Castilleja
Castilleja, commonly known as Indian paintbrush or Prairie-fire, is a genus of about 200 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants native to the west of the Americas from Alaska south to the Andes, northern Asia, and one species as far west as the Kola Peninsula in Siberia...
known by the common name mountain Indian paintbrush. It is native to western North America from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in high mountain habitat, including areas of alpine climate
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
.
Description
This wildflower is a perennial herb up to about 40 centimeters tall and coated in glandular and nonglandular hairs. The leaves are a few centimeters long and lance-shaped to oblong. The inflorescenceInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is made up of layers of bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s tipped in shades of pale yellow to bright red or pink. Between the bracts emerge the yellow-green, sometimes red-tinted, tubular flowers.
Varieties
There are several varieties of Castilleja parviflora:- C. p. var. albida - limited to British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and Washington - C. p. var. olympica (Olympic Indian paintbrush) - endemic to the Olympic MountainsOlympic MountainsThe Olympic Mountains is a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of western Washington in the United States. The mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are not especially high - Mount Olympus is the highest at - but the western slopes of the Olympics rise directly out of the Pacific...
of western Washington - C. p. var. oreopola (Henry Indian paintbrush) - distributed from British Columbia to OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
- C. p. var. parviflora - known from Alaska to California