E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Castilleja elmeri Fernald
Elmer's paintbrush (Elmer's paintbrush)
Orobanchaceae (Broom-rape family)
(Previously in Scrophulariaceae)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Ryan Batten  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #53183)

E-Flora BC Static Map
Distribution of Castilleja elmeri
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial herb from a stout, somewhat woody stem-base; stems several, clustered, ascending to erect, 15-30 cm tall, usually unbranched, finely sticky glandular-hairy, especially in the inflorescence.
Leaves:
Alternate, linear-lanceolate, mostly entire, or the upper sometimes with a pair of short lobes, sticky short-hairy to glandular-long-hairy.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a prominently bracted terminal spike, the bracts crimson to scarlet, occasionally yellowish, oblong-egg-shaped, entire and rounded or rarely with a pair of short lobes near the top, sticky-long-hairy; corollas greenish, 20-30 mm long, 2-lipped, the upper lip beak-like, short-hairy, 8-12 mm long, nearly as long as the tube and 4-5 times the length of the thickened, 3-toothed lower lip; calyces hairy, 15-25 mm long, 2-lobed, these primary lobes again divided into 2 oblong, blunt, 1- to 4-mm long segments; stamens 4.
Fruits:
Capsules; seeds many, the seed-coats loose, net-veined.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Mesic meadows in the montane and subalpine zones; locally frequent in the Cascade Mountains, SC BC; S to NW WA.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Castilleja elmeri

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Minimum

Average

Maximum

Elevation (metres) 2195 2239 2286
Slope Gradient (%) 9 19 39
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
180 240 315
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
4 5 7
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
18
Modal BEC Zone Class
AT
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: AT(10), ESSF(5), IMA(3)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Castilleja angustifolia var. whitedii Piper

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References