Castilleja elmeri

Castilleja elmeri
Conservation status
Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Genus:	Castilleja
Species:	C. elmeri
Binomial name
Castilleja elmeri Fernald

Castilleja elmeri is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae with the common name Elmer's paintbrush. As with most Castilleja species, this is a facultative root hemiparasite and will usually be seen growing close to a host plant.[2][3]

Description

Unbranched stems grow from a small woody base and are up to 30 cm tall. Leaves are lanceolate and usually entire, and the flowers form a relatively (for a Castilleja) compact head that is usually red or pale yellow, sometimes nearly white or intermediate colors. Leaves, stems, and bracts are covered with fine short hairs.[3][4]

Range and habitat

Castilleja elmeri grows in mountains from southern British Columbia to the Wenatchee Mountains and Mount Rainier in Washington State.[3] In the Wenatchee Mountains it is notable for being common on serpentine soils.[2]

References

1. "Castilleja elmeri Elmer Indian-paintbrush". NatureServe. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
2. "Castilleja elmeri (Elmer's Paintbrush)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
3. Hitchcock, C.L. and Cronquist, A. 2018. Flora of the Pacific Northwest, 2nd Edition, p. 503. University of Washington Press, Seattle.
4. Burke Herbarium Image Collection| http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Castilleja%20elmeri