![]() ![]() While bract color can be helpful, some members of the same species can have different colors, and the addition of hybridization and it can make it even more difficult. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Information Network (CAPU11) Castilleja purpurea (Nutt.) G. ![]() This species blooms with showy scarlet-orange flowers in the. downy Indian paintbrush General Information Symbol: CAPU11: Group: Dicot: Duration: Perennial: Growth Habit: Forb/herb Subshrub: Native Status: L48 N: Download Distribution Data. What looks to be flowers are actually the colourful red-orange. Castilleja coccinea (Indian Paint Brush or Prairie Fire) is a wildflower of the eastern US. Flower Family: Figwort Scientific Name: Castilleja miniata. Description: Castilleja chromosa/angustifolia has bristly gray-green to purple-red herbage. Some of the identification markers to look for are “hairs” on the leaves and/or stem, a woody or soft stem, a green or brown stem, if they grow singly, in groups, or in huge masses, or leaf shape and the location or time of year it flowers. Between the bracts emerge the yellow-green, red-edged tubular flowers. For the field botanist, identification can be tricky as those species with overlapping geographical ranges easily hybridize, making it a mess for those figuring out the official distinct individual species. ![]() Narrow-leaf paintbrush can be found along rocky & gravely terrain alongside. This can also be found in poinsettias (think Christmas!) and bougainvilleas where the bracts are the bright flowery parts while the actual flowers are tiny and nondescript. This perennial plant can grow up to two feet tall and features small wiry stems. A closer look will show tiny bright yellowish-green tubes – often with the stamen sticking out from the end of these floral tubes. While what most of us consider to be the flower part of the Indian paintbrush plant, we are actually looking are the bracts which are nothing more than colored leaves near where the flowers are located. It attaches itself to the root systems of other plants in order to gain nutrients. While being often variable in color from other species and sometimes its own species, they are not easily confused with other wildflowers, and are not easily forgotten. The other fascinating aspect of this plant is that it is parasitic. One thing these plants do have in common is their general appearance. The paintbrush is a herbaceous plant of genus Castilleja, figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. ![]()
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