Castilleja minor
Encyclopedia
Castilleja minor is a species of flowering plant in the broomrape family
known by the common name lesser Indian paintbrush.
It is native to western North America from British Columbia
to California
to New Mexico
, where it grows in moist habitats such as spring meadows.
of green bract
s tipped with bright red and smaller, yellowish flowers. The fruit is a capsule just over a centimeter long.
Orobanchaceae
Orobanchaceae, the broomrape family, is a family of flowering plants of the order Lamiales, with about 90 genera and more than 2000 species. Many of these genera were formerly included in the family Scrophulariaceae sensu lato...
known by the common name lesser Indian paintbrush.
It is native to western North America from British Columbia
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...
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...
to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, where it grows in moist habitats such as spring meadows.
Description
This is an annual herb growing a mostly unbranching slender stem to heights from 30 centimeters to well over a meter. The leaves are lance-shaped and several centimeters long. The top of the stem is occupied by an 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...
of green 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 with bright red and smaller, yellowish flowers. The fruit is a capsule just over a centimeter long.