Castilleja sessiliflora
| Castilleja sessiliflora | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Orobanchaceae |
| Genus: | Castilleja |
| Species: | C. sessiliflora
|
| Binomial name | |
| Castilleja sessiliflora | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Castilleja sessiliflora is a species of flowering plant in the broomrape family known by the common names downy paintbrush and downy paintedcup. It is native to the Great Plains of North America from southern Canada, through the central United States, to northern Mexico. It occurs as far west as the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.[3]
Description
This perennial herb produces one or more stems 10 to 40 centimeters (4 to 16 in) tall from a woody root crown.[4] It is hemiparasitic, obtaining water and nutrients from other plants by tapping their roots. This Castilleja species has been observed parasitizing eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) and oldfield juniper (J. communis var. depressa). It reproduces sexually and vegetatively by resprouting from its root crown.[3]
The petals are fused and form a curvilinear tube. The sepals are shorter, with narrow lobes. Altogether, the inflorescence is green, yellowish, and pink.[5]
This plant grows in several habitat types, including prairie, shinnery, Texas savanna, and shrubsteppe.[3] It is pollinated by a hawk moth.[5]
There is anecdotal evidence that Castilleja sessiliflora is less dependent on host plants than other members of its genus. The noted wildflower writer Claude A. Barr reported that a specimen was successfully moved by him into a garden where it lived for several years and produced one seedling without an apparent host.[6]
Taxonomy
Castilleja sessiliflora was given its scientific name in 1813 by Frederick Traugott Pursh. It is classified as part of the genus Castilleja within the family Orobanchaceae. It has no accepted subspecies, but has one in its five heterotypic synonyms.[2]
| Name | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Bartsia grandiflora Spreng. | 1821 | species |
| Castilleja grandiflora (Nutt.) Spreng. | 1825 | species |
| Castilleja sessiliflora subsp. betheli Cockerell | 1918 | subspecies |
| Castilleja sessiliflora f. purpurina Pennell | 1935 | form |
| Euchroma grandiflora Nutt. | 1818 | species |
Names
The binomial name, Castilleja sessiliflora, is Botanical Latin with the second part meaning its flowers have no stalks.[7] It is known by the common names downy paintedcup,[8] downy paintbrush,[7] and Great Plains paintbrush.[5]
References
Citations
- ^ NatureServe 2025.
- ^ a b POWO 2025.
- ^ a b c Walsh, Roberta A. (1993). "Castilleja sessiliflora". Fire Effects Information System (FEIS). US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service (USFS), Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
- ^ Egger et al. 2020.
- ^ a b c Taylor 1992, p. 60.
- ^ Barr, Claude A. (1983). Jewels of the plains : wild flowers of the Great Plains grasslands and hills. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. p. 54. ISBN 0-8166-1127-0.
- ^ a b Holloway 2005, p. 32.
- ^ Blank 2005, p. 75.
Sources
- Books
- Blank, D. Linnell (2005). Montana Wildflowers. Helena, Montana: Farcountry Press. ISBN 978-1-56037-368-1. OCLC 62786886. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
- Holloway, Joel Ellis (2005). Neill, Amanda (ed.). A Dictionary of Common Wildflowers of Texas and the Southern Great Plains. Fort Worth, Texas: TCU Press. ISBN 978-0-87565-309-9. OCLC 61451157.
- Taylor, Ronald J. (1992). Sagebrush Country : A Wildflower Sanctuary (revised ed.). Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-87842-280-7. OCLC 25708726.
- Web sources
- Egger, J. Mark; Zika, Peter F.; Wilson, Barbara L.; Brainerd, Richard E.; Otting, Nick (5 November 2020) [In print 2019]. "Castilleja sessiliflora". Flora of North America. p. 657. ISBN 978-0-19-086851-2. OCLC 1101573420. Archived from the original on 8 July 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
- NatureServe (1 November 2025). "Castilleja sessiliflora". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
- POWO (2025). "Castilleja sessiliflora Pursh". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
External links
- Castilleja sessiliflora in the CalPhotos photo database, University of California, Berkeley