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Plants
AGAVE AND YUCCA | CACTI | WILDFLOWERS

Castilleja Chromosa, Northwestern Indian Paintbrush


Plants > Wildflowers > Orobanchaceae > Castilleja Chromosa
Northwestern Indian Paintbrush; Red flower head of castilleja chromosa, near Pine City, Joshua Tree National Park, California
Red flower head of castilleja chromosa, near Pine City, Joshua Tree National Park, California
Common names:
Northwestern indian paintbrush, desert paintbrush
Family:
Broomrape (Orobanchaceae)
Scientific name:
Castilleja chromosa
Main flower color:
Red
Range:
The Rocky Mountain states, and states to the west
Height:
Between 6 and 18 inches
Habitat:
Open, rocky or sandy locations; up to 8,000 feet
Leaves:
Linear or divided into a few narrow lobes; up to 2.5 inches long
Season:
March to April
Pintrest
Leaves, bracts and stems of castilleja chromosa have a dense covering of short, rather bristly hairs. Stems are reddish-purple, and the leaves, while green in moist conditions, may also be purplish, either just along the edges or all over. Plants produce many stems, each topped by the inflorescence; bright red bracts, especially rich in color, and narrow tubular flowers, about one inch long. Flowers have a greenish corolla with a red-orange flange on each side, enclosed around the base by a reddish calyx. A curved stigma projects beyond the tip of the corolla.

Leaves are mostly simple, but those higher up the stems may be divided into a small number of lobes. Leaves and bracts are curved up somewhat at the edges. Plants at lower elevations usually flower just in the spring, but those in more mountainous locations can bloom late in the summer.




Narrow, hairy leaves
Narrow, hairy leaves
Northwestern Indian Paintbrush
Bright red bracts
Top of a flowerhead
Top of a flowerhead
Stem and leaves
Stem and leaves
Hairy bracts
Hairy bracts
Group of flowering stems
Group of flowering stems
Lobed bracts
Lobed bracts
Hairy green leaves
Hairy green leaves
Flowers and bracts
Flowers and bracts
Hairy stem
Hairy stem
Flowerheads
Flowerheads
Purple leaves
Purple leaves
Two stems
Two stems
Bracts and flowers
Bracts and flowers
Hairy red bracts
Hairy red bracts
Red inflorescence
Red inflorescence
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