Castilleja miniata (Giant red Indian paintbrush)

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Castilleja miniata Douglas ex Hook.

Giant red Indian paintbrush, desert paintbrush, giant red paintbrush

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Lamiales	Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary
Family	Orobanchaceae	Broomrape family of parasitic plants
Genus	Castilleja	Named for Spanish botanist Domingo Castillejo
Species	miniata	“Saturn-red, flame, scarlet”

About plant names...

Giant red Indian paintbrush is native to much of western North America, one of the 200 or so species of genus Castilleja. If you're interested in Castillejas, don't miss Mark Egger's superb photographic compilation on Flickr. They appear from April to October. See also this Castilleja comparison table.

Identification: Plants are 18-36" (45-91 cm) high, with unbranched or rarely branched stems. Stems are green, becoming purplish with age. Leaves are 1-2" (3-6 cm) long, lanceolate (lance-shaped) and entire (undivided), with sharp tips. The flowerheads, 1-6" (3-15 cm) in size, are mostly bracts (modified leaves), colored crimson or scarlet; the true flowers are small, green, and easily overlooked. Fruits are ⅛-⅜" (6-12 mm) in size, containing seeds that are ¹/₃₂-¹/₁₆" (1.5-2 mm). The species has many variants, as you can see from the references below.

Online References:

Mark Egger’s Castilleja site on Flickr (Castilleja miniata Douglas ex Hook., "boreosylvestris" form)

Mark Egger’s Castilleja site on Flickr (Castilleja miniata Douglas ex Hook. var. dixonii (Fernald) A. Nelson & J.F. Macbr.)

Mark Egger’s Castilleja site on Flickr (Castilleja miniata Douglas & Hook. var. fulva (Pennell) J.M. Egger)

Mark Egger’s Castilleja site on Flickr (Castilleja miniata Douglas ex. Hook. var. miniata)

Mark Egger’s Castilleja site on Flickr (Castilleja miniata Douglas ex Hook. var. oblongifolia (A. Gray) P.A. Munz)

Mark Egger’s Castilleja site on Flickr (Castilleja miniata Douglas ex Hook., NW-central Alberta form)

Mark Egger’s Castilleja site on Flickr (Castilleja miniata Douglas ex Hook., west-central Oregon form)

CalPhotos

The USDA Plants Database

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

The Jepson Manual

References:

Turner, Mark, Gustafson, Phyllis, Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest, Timber Press, 2006, p. 367

Castilleja miniata description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

9/1/2007 · Mt. St. Helens, Washington
≈ 10 × 7" (26 × 17 cm)

8/31/2014 · New Mexico
≈ 8 × 11" (19 × 27 cm) ID is uncertain

8/26/2014 · Rt. 53, El Malpais Nat. Monument, El Caldaron Area, El Malpais, New Mexico
≈ 4½ × 5" (12 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain

9/1/2007 · Mt. St. Helens, Washington
≈ 9 × 6" (23 × 15 cm)

8/26/2014 · Rt. 53, El Malpais Nat. Monument, El Caldaron Area, El Malpais, New Mexico
≈ 5 × 5" (12 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain

Range:

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