Castilleja exserta | |
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Conservation status | |
Apparently Secure (NatureServe) | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Orobanchaceae |
Genus: | Castilleja |
Species: | C. exserta |
Binomial name | |
Castilleja exserta (Heller) Chuang & Heckard |
Castilleja exserta (formerly Orthocarpus purpurascens) is a species of plant in the genus Castilleja which includes the Indian paintbrushes. Its common names include purple owl's clover, escobita, and exserted Indian paintbrush.
This species is native to the Southwestern United States in various habitats of California, Arizona, and New Mexico; and to Northwestern Mexico. It is an introduced species in Hawaii.
Description
Castilleja exserta is an annual herb about 100–450 millimetres (4–18 in) tall with a hairy stem covered in thready leaves. Like other related Castilleja plants, this species is a hemiparasite, deriving some of its nutrients directly from the roots of other plants by infiltrating them with haustoria. As a result, its own leaves are small and reduced.
Although this species is variable in appearance and easily hybridizes with other Castilleja species, it generally bears a brightly colored inflorescence of shaggy pink-purple or lavender flowers. The thin, erect bracts are usually tipped with the same color, giving the inflorescence the appearance of a paintbrush.
Varieties
Varieties include:
- Castilleja exserta var. exserta — pale purple owlclover.
- Castilleja exserta var. latifolia — wideleaf Indian paintbrush; endemic to coastal California.
- Castilleja exserta var. venusta — endemic to California: Mojave Desert, southern San Joaquin Valley.
Bay checkerspot butterfly host
This is a crucial host plant for the Bay checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha bayensis), which is a threatened species that is endemic to the San Francisco Bay region in California.
The seeds were harvested by indigenous peoples of California for food.
References
- "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- CalFlora database: Castilleja exserta . accessed 3.23.2013
- Sullivan, Steven. K. (2018). "Castilleja exserta". Wildflower Search. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
- "Castilleja exserta". in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora. Jepson Herbarium; University of California, Berkeley. 2018. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
- CalFlora: Castilleja exserta ssp. exserta
- ^ "Castilleja exserta (A.Heller) T.I.Chuang & Heckard | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
- CalFlora: Castilleja exserta ssp. latifolia
- "Castilleja exserta var. latifolia (S.Watson) J.M.Egger | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
- CalFlora: Castilleja exserta ssp. venusta
- USDA: C. e. ssp. venusta
- "Castilleja exserta var. venusta (A.Heller) J.M.Egger | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Information Network (NPIN) — Castilleja exserta (Purple owl's clover) . accessed 3.23.2013
External links
- Media related to Castilleja exserta at Wikimedia Commons
- Closeup photos — at Henry Coe State Park, S.F. Bay Area.
- Castilleja exserta — U.C. Photo gallery
Taxon identifiers | |
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Castilleja exserta |
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Orthocarpus exsertus |
- NatureServe apparently secure species
- Castilleja
- Flora of Northwestern Mexico
- Flora of Arizona
- Flora of Baja California
- Flora of California
- Flora of New Mexico
- Flora of Sonora
- Flora of the California desert regions
- Flora of the Klamath Mountains
- Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
- Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
- Natural history of the California Coast Ranges
- Natural history of the Central Valley (California)
- Natural history of the Channel Islands of California
- Natural history of the Mojave Desert
- Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges
- Natural history of the San Francisco Bay Area
- Natural history of the Transverse Ranges
- Butterfly food plants
- Plants used in Native American cuisine