Castilleja rupicola Piper ex Fernald
cliff paintbrush (cliff paintbrush)
Orobanchaceae (Broom-rape family)
(Previously in Scrophulariaceae)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Bryan King     (Photo ID #12888)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Castilleja rupicola
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Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a somewhat woody stem-base; stems several, clustered, ascending to erect, 10-20 cm tall, unbranched, thinly long-soft-hairy with crinkly hairs.
Leaves:
Alternate, all divided into 3 to 5 (7) linear, spreading lobes, or rarely the lowermost entire, the lateral lobes not much narrower than the mid-blade, finely long-soft-hairy.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a prominently bracted terminal spike, compact and relatively few-flowered, the bracts bright scarlet or crimson, mostly deeply 5-lobed, much shorter than the flowers, minutely hairy and also long-soft-hairy; corollas greenish, 25-35 (45) mm long, 2-lipped, the upper lip beak-like, short-hairy, about equalling or slightly longer than the tube and much longer than the thickened, 3-toothed lower lip; calyces long-hairy, 15-25 mm long, deeply 2-lobed, these primary lobes again divided into 2 blunt or sharp, 1- to 5-mm long segments; stamens 4.
Fruits:
Capsules; seeds many, the seed-coats loose, net-veined.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Habitat and Range

Dry to mesic cliffs and rocky slopes from the upper montane to alpine zones; rare in the Cascade Mountains; S to OR.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia