Castilleja ambigua var. meadii
Castilleja ambigua var. ambigua
Mead's johnny-nip, Mead's owl's-clover
estuarine paintbrush, johnny-nip, paintbrush owl-clover, salt-marsh paintbrush
erect, unbranched, sometimes with a few divaricate-ascending branches from proximal 1/2 of stem above base.
± short-decumbent proximally, becoming ascending to erect, often branched.
linear or linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, 1 mm wide at base, not fleshy, apex acuminate.
widely lanceolate, sometimes linear or narrowly oblong, rarely ovate, not fleshy, apex rounded.
proximally pale greenish, distally white on lobe apices, often becoming entirely greenish with age;
lobes divaricate-ascending, linear, 8–14 mm, usually arising below mid length.
proximally greenish, rarely dull brownish, distally white, rarely fading pinkish, on lobe apices;
lobes ascending, linear to oblong, 12–15 mm, usually arising near or above mid length.
14–21 mm;
beak pale, off-white, pale yellow, green with margins off-white, or yellow, sometimes orange, 1–4 mm;
abaxial lip pale yellow;
teeth white to green.
14–21 mm;
beak pale to bright yellow or white, rarely pink, 4–6 mm;
abaxial lip pale to bright yellow;
teeth white, rarely pink or reddish purple.
with all 4 clefts subequal or lateral clefts shallower;
lateral clefts 2–3 mm, 25% of calyx length.
with all 4 clefts subequal;
lateral clefts 2–3 mm, 20% of calyx length.
Castilleja ambigua var. meadii
Castilleja ambigua var. ambigua
Variety meadii is limited to vernally wet habitats, growing over rocks of the Sonoma Volcanic Formation in central Napa County near Atlas Peak. All known populations are under private ownership, and the variety is of conservation concern due to its very limited range. For the present, all populations except one are protected by conservation easements. Variety meadii often grows alongside, but does not hybridize with, Castilleja attenuata and C. densiflora. Ongoing study of annual species of Castilleja suggests this variety is genetically distinctive and may deserve full species status (S. J. Jacobs et al. 2018).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Variety ambigua is highly variable among populations. Much of the variation tends towards two ecotypes. One ecotype has thin leaves with narrow, often acute lobes and more or less spreading-ascending stems. Plants of this ecotype inhabit sandy coastal bluffs and short-grass, herbaceous meadows, often well inland, in Marin, Napa, and Sonoma counties in California. Plants of a second ecotype have fleshy leaves and bracts with more or less obtuse lobes and more upright stems. These are found in Salicornia-dominated coastal salt marshes and range from southern Vancouver Island to San Francisco Bay. Plants found around Tomales Bay, Marin County, may have pink beaks. Variety ambigua occasionally hybridizes with Castilleja exserta and reportedly with C. rubicundula.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
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USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
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