Castilleja hispida Benth.
harsh paintbrush (harsh paintbrush)
Orobanchaceae (Broom-rape family)
(Previously in Scrophulariaceae)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Virginia Skilton     (Photo ID #1648)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Castilleja hispida
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC

Castilleja hispida var. hispida

Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a stout, somewhat woody stem-base; stems several, clustered, ascending to erect, 20-60 cm tall, usually unbranched, finely long-soft-hairy to sometimes bristly-hairy, especially above.
Leaves:
Alternate, lanceolate to narrowly egg-shaped, finely soft-hairy to sometimes sticky-long-hairy, the lower leaves entire and reduced, the upper ones usually with 1 to 2 pairs of narrow lobes above the middle.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a prominently bracted terminal spike, at first compact, later elongating in fruit, the bracts bright red to scarlet, occasionally yellowish, oblong-egg-shaped, deeply 3- to 5-lobed above the middle, minutely hairy and also long-soft-hairy; corollas greenish, 20-40 mm long, 2-lipped, the upper lip beak-like, short-hairy, about as long as the tube and 5 or more times the length of the thickened, 3-toothed lower lip; calyces hairy, 15-30 mm long, deeply 2-lobed, these primary lobes again divided into 2 rounded, 1- to 7-mm long segments; stamens 4.
Fruits:
Capsules; seeds many, the seed-coats loose, net-veined.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
Red
Blooming Period:
Mid Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Black
Present from Summer to Fall
Source:  The USDA

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Castilleja hispida

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

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
1261 137 2320
Slope Gradient (%)
38 0 84

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

190 20 303
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
2 0 5
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
B
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
66
Modal BEC Zone Class
ICH

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

AT(4), CDF(2), CWH(1), ESSF(8), ICH(18), IDF(14), MH(2), MS(12), PP(2)

Habitat and Range

Mesic meadows and open forests in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent in S BC; E to SW AB and S to NW MT, ID and CA.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia