Castilleja Integra, Wholeleaf Indian Paintbrush

Castilleja integra occupies generally dry environments at medium elevations, in between the low deserts and the mountains. The greenish red leaves are one element that aids identification, being undivided, long and thin, and rolled up along the axis. They, the orange-red bracts and the purplish stems are covered by very fine, white hairs; more evident on the underside of the leaves than the top. The flowers are thin green tubes with a protruding stamen, most hidden by the longer and wider bracts, which are also unlobed, oblong to elliptical in shape. Stems become woody at the base. Like all members of this genus, wholeleaf Indian paintbrush is a parasitic species, using roots of nearby species for sustenance.