Castilleja occidentalis
Encyclopedia
Castilleja occidentalis is a member of the genus Castilleja
(paintbrush), commonly referred to as western Indian paintbrush. Like other members, it is a hemi-parasite.
north to BC
, Alberta
and Montana
(Glacier National Park
) and south to Utah and New Mexico (but not known in Wyoming or Idaho)
. It is found in dry places, favoring rocky soils and talus slopes. It has thin, lanceolate leaves (with occasionally lobed upper leaves) borne on woody stems. The bract
s are pale yellow to nearly white. Along with the plants’ habitat, this coloration aids identification.
However, this paintbrush often occurs in fragile wet meadow
s, where it is vulnerable to trampling. Further, coloration can vary to red and purple with all colors between.
), and Bellard kobresia (Kobresia myosuroides
)
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...
(paintbrush), commonly referred to as western Indian paintbrush. Like other members, it is a hemi-parasite.
Distribution
This species has a wide distribution, from the Rocky MountainsRocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
north to BC
British Columbia
British 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...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
(Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park may refer to:*Glacier National Park in British Columbia, Canada*Glacier National Park in Montana, USA-See also:*Glacier Bay National Park, in Alaska, USA*Los Glaciares National Park, in Argentina...
) and south to Utah and New Mexico (but not known in Wyoming or Idaho)
Habitat
The western paintbrush occurs in areas above and below the treelineSubalpine
The subalpine zone is the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. Species that occur in this zone depend on the location of the zone on the Earth, for example, Snow Gum in Australia, or Subalpine Larch, Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Fir in western North America.Trees in the...
. It is found in dry places, favoring rocky soils and talus slopes. It has thin, lanceolate leaves (with occasionally lobed upper leaves) borne on woody stems. The 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 are pale yellow to nearly white. Along with the plants’ habitat, this coloration aids identification.
However, this paintbrush often occurs in fragile wet meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
s, where it is vulnerable to trampling. Further, coloration can vary to red and purple with all colors between.
Associated plants
The western paintbrush is often associated with tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia caespitosa), golden avens (Geum rossiiGeum
Geum , commonly called avens, is a genus of about 50 species of perennial herbaceous plants in the rose family Rosaceae, native to Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa and New Zealand...
), and Bellard kobresia (Kobresia myosuroides
Kobresia
Kobresia is a genus of plants in the sedge family. They are sometimes called bog sedges. These perennial sedges are quite similar to Carex species in appearance...
)