The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links
Castilleja oresbia

pale paintbrush, pale Wallowa Indian paintbrush, pale Wallowa paintbrush

hairy paintbrush, parrot-head Indian paintbrush, pilose paintbrush

Habit Herbs, perennial, 0.9–3 dm; from a woody caudex; with a stout taproot. Herbs, perennial, (0.7–)1.2–3.5(–4.4) dm; from a woody caudex; with a stout taproot.
Stems

few to several, erect or ascending, sometimes decumbent at base, unbranched or branched, hairs usually retrorse, medium length, ± soft, eglandular, mixed with very short-glandular ones, sometimes with spreading, long, soft ones.

several to many, ascending to erect, sometimes short-decumbent, branched or unbranched, sometimes with short, leafy axillary shoots, hairs moderately dense, retrorse or curved to spreading, straight, curly, or ± wavy, medium length to long, soft to stiff, eglandular.

Leaves

green to purple, linear to lanceolate, 2–7 cm, not fleshy, margins plane, involute, 3–5(–7)-lobed, apex acuminate to acute;

lobes spreading, linear to sometimes narrowly lanceolate, apex acute.

green to purple, linear to lanceolate, 1–5.5(–8) cm, not fleshy, margins plane to ± wavy, involute, 0–5(–7)-lobed, apex acuminate to obtuse;

lobes widely spreading to ascending-spreading, linear to filiform, apex acute or obtuse.

Inflorescences

2.5–18 × 1–3.5 cm;

bracts pale green to yellow-green or pale, dull reddish brown throughout, or proximally so colored but changing gradually to cream or yellowish on distal margins, narrowly to broadly lanceolate, (3–)5–7(–9)-lobed;

lobes ascending, linear, long, proximal lobes arising below mid length, central lobe apex obtuse, others acute.

(2–)3.5–16 × 1–3.5 cm;

bracts light green, green, yellow-green, light purple, purple, light dusky pink, salmon, or reddish brown throughout, or these colors proximally, distally or on distal margins white, pale yellow, yellow, pale salmon, or buff, sometimes becoming reddish purple with age, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate or narrowly ovate, 3–5(–9)-lobed, often wavy-margined;

lobes spreading to erect or ascending, linear to oblanceolate, short to long, arising near or above mid length, sometimes wavy-margined, central lobe apex obtuse to rounded or truncate, sometimes acute, lateral ones acute to obtuse.

Corollas

straight, 21–36 mm;

tube 16–20 mm;

teeth of abaxial lip often exserted, beak exserted;

beak adaxially green, 4.2–5.5 mm;

abaxial lip green to purple, distally white, conspicuous, slightly but noticeably pouched, often visible through front cleft, 3–5 mm, 67–100% as long as beak, puberulent;

teeth erect, white, 1.8–2.1 mm.

straight, 14–23 mm;

tube 10–15;

abaxial lip sometimes partially exserted, beak exserted;

beak adaxially green or yellow-green, 3–7 mm;

abaxial lip proximally green, pale yellow, pale or bright pink, or deep purple, distally white to pink or purplish, inflated, pouches 3, deeply furrowed, 2.5–8 mm, 50–100% as long as beak;

teeth erect, green, white, buff, pink, or pale yellow, 1–2 mm.

Calyces

colored as bracts, 10–25 mm;

abaxial and adaxial clefts 6–7 mm, 30–60% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 5–10 mm, 40–50% of calyx length;

lobes linear, apex acute.

proximally whitish to pale green, distally green, whitish, pink, or yellowish, 9–28 mm; all 4 clefts subequal, 2–12 mm, 45–55% of calyx length;

lobes linear to narrowly lanceolate or narrowly triangular, rarely deltoid, apex acute, rarely rounded.

2n

= 24, 48, 96.

Castilleja oresbia

Castilleja pilosa

Phenology Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Dry slopes and plains, sagebrush meadows, grasslands, openings in conifer forests.
Elevation 900–2200 m. (3000–7200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Castilleja oresbia is endemic to eastern Oregon and adjacent Idaho. It is easily confused with both varieties of C. pallescens, which also occur in sagebrush habitats. Castilleja oresbia has longer calyx lobes and softer pubescence than C. pallescens var. pallescens, although some transitional specimens are found. Castilleja oresbia has a combination of longer calyx lobes, longer pubescence, and obscurely nerved bracts, which usually serve to separate it from C. pallescens var. inverta. All three have different, though somewhat overlapping, ranges. Castilleja oresbia occasionally hybridizes with C. peckiana in Grant County, Oregon.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Castilleja pilosa is a widespread and variable complex similar in growth form and coloration to C. pallescens and related species. However, C. pilosa is distinguished with relative ease by its subequally divided calyces. Plants of the C. pallescens complex have very shallow lateral calyx lobes.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Calyces 9–15(–20) mm; c, se Idaho, nw Wyoming, adjacent Montana.
var. longispica
1. Calyces (11–)14–28 mm; ne California, nw Nevada, e Oregon.
→ 2
2. Stem hairs spreading, ± wavy or curly, soft, (0.4–)0.8–1.3(–1.5) mm; sagebrush steppes, rocky slopes, ridges, seasonally moist meadows or pools, conifer forests, montane to subalpine; 500–2000(–3500) m; ne California, nw Nevada, e Oregon.
var. pilosa
2. Stem hairs retrorse or spreading, ± curved, stiff, 0.5–0.8(–1) mm; rocky slopes, ledges, dry meadows, sagebrush steppes, subalpine to alpine, volcanic soils; (1900–)2000–2900 m; Steens Mountain, se Oregon.
var. steenensis
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 635. FNA vol. 17, p. 644.
Parent taxa Orobanchaceae > Castilleja Orobanchaceae > Castilleja
Sibling taxa
C. affinis, C. ambigua, C. angustifolia, C. applegatei, C. aquariensis, C. arachnoidea, C. attenuata, C. brevilobata, C. brevistyla, C. campestris, C. cervina, C. chambersii, C. chlorotica, C. christii, C. chromosa, C. chrymactis, C. chrysantha, C. cinerea, C. citrina, C. coccinea, C. collegiorum, C. covilleana, C. crista-galli, C. cryptantha, C. cusickii, C. densiflora, C. dissitiflora, C. disticha, C. elata, C. elegans, C. elmeri, C. exserta, C. flava, C. foliolosa, C. fraterna, C. genevieveana, C. glandulifera, C. gleasoni, C. gracillima, C. grisea, C. haydenii, C. hispida, C. hololeuca, C. hyperborea, C. indivisa, C. integra, C. kaibabensis, C. kerryana, C. kraliana, C. lacera, C. lanata, C. lasiorhyncha, C. lassenensis, C. latifolia, C. lemmonii, C. leschkeana, C. levisecta, C. linariifolia, C. lindheimeri, C. lineariloba, C. lineata, C. litoralis, C. lutescens, C. martini, C. mendocinensis, C. mexicana, C. miniata, C. minor, C. mogollonica, C. mollis, C. montigena, C. nana, C. nelsonii, C. nervata, C. nivea, C. occidentalis, C. organorum, C. ornata, C. pallescens, C. pallida, C. parviflora, C. parvula, C. patriotica, C. peckiana, C. peirsonii, C. pilosa, C. plagiotoma, C. praeterita, C. pruinosa, C. puberula, C. pulchella, C. purpurascens, C. purpurea, C. raupii, C. revealii, C. rhexiifolia, C. rigida, C. rubicundula, C. rubida, C. rupicola, C. salsuginosa, C. scabrida, C. schizotricha, C. septentrionalis, C. sessiliflora, C. subinclusa, C. suksdorfii, C. tenuiflora, C. tenuis, C. thompsonii, C. tomentosa, C. uliginosa, C. unalaschcensis, C. victoriae, C. viscidula, C. wightii, C. wootonii, C. xanthotricha
C. affinis, C. ambigua, C. angustifolia, C. applegatei, C. aquariensis, C. arachnoidea, C. attenuata, C. brevilobata, C. brevistyla, C. campestris, C. cervina, C. chambersii, C. chlorotica, C. christii, C. chromosa, C. chrymactis, C. chrysantha, C. cinerea, C. citrina, C. coccinea, C. collegiorum, C. covilleana, C. crista-galli, C. cryptantha, C. cusickii, C. densiflora, C. dissitiflora, C. disticha, C. elata, C. elegans, C. elmeri, C. exserta, C. flava, C. foliolosa, C. fraterna, C. genevieveana, C. glandulifera, C. gleasoni, C. gracillima, C. grisea, C. haydenii, C. hispida, C. hololeuca, C. hyperborea, C. indivisa, C. integra, C. kaibabensis, C. kerryana, C. kraliana, C. lacera, C. lanata, C. lasiorhyncha, C. lassenensis, C. latifolia, C. lemmonii, C. leschkeana, C. levisecta, C. linariifolia, C. lindheimeri, C. lineariloba, C. lineata, C. litoralis, C. lutescens, C. martini, C. mendocinensis, C. mexicana, C. miniata, C. minor, C. mogollonica, C. mollis, C. montigena, C. nana, C. nelsonii, C. nervata, C. nivea, C. occidentalis, C. oresbia, C. organorum, C. ornata, C. pallescens, C. pallida, C. parviflora, C. parvula, C. patriotica, C. peckiana, C. peirsonii, C. plagiotoma, C. praeterita, C. pruinosa, C. puberula, C. pulchella, C. purpurascens, C. purpurea, C. raupii, C. revealii, C. rhexiifolia, C. rigida, C. rubicundula, C. rubida, C. rupicola, C. salsuginosa, C. scabrida, C. schizotricha, C. septentrionalis, C. sessiliflora, C. subinclusa, C. suksdorfii, C. tenuiflora, C. tenuis, C. thompsonii, C. tomentosa, C. uliginosa, C. unalaschcensis, C. victoriae, C. viscidula, C. wightii, C. wootonii, C. xanthotricha
Subordinate taxa
C. pilosa var. longispica, C. pilosa var. pilosa, C. pilosa var. steenensis
Synonyms Orthocarpus pilosus
Name authority Greenman: Bot. Gaz. 48: 147. (1909) (S. Watson) Rydberg: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 1: 361. (1900)
Web links