Castilleja thompsonii Pennell
Thompson's paintbrush (Thompson's paintbrush)
Orobanchaceae (Broom-rape family)
(Previously in Scrophulariaceae)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Val George     (Photo ID #26425)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

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

Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a somewhat woody stem-base; stems several, clustered, ascending to erect, 10-40 cm tall, frequently branched above, bristly-hairy or long-soft-hairy, sometimes purplish.
Leaves:
Alternate, bristly-hairy or long-soft-hairy, sometimes also glandular, the lower leaves linear and entire, the upper ones with 1 to 2 pairs of linear spreading lobes.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a prominently bracted terminal spike, the bracts yellowish, wider than the leaves, deeply 3- to 5-lobed, minutely hairy and also fringed with long hairs; corollas 15-30 mm long, 2-lipped, the upper lip beak-like, included in the calyx or slightly exserted, much shorter than the tube and about 1.5 times the length of the prominent, 3-lobed lower lip; calyces often purplish, hairy, 12-25 mm long, deeply 2-lobed, these primary lobes again divided into 2 triangular or linear segments 1-3 mm long; 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.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Castilleja thompsonii

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)
790 355 2040
Slope Gradient (%)
27 0 80

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

150 2 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
3 0 5
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
152
Modal BEC Zone Class
BG

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

BG(57), ESSF(4), IDF(44), MS(5), PP(39)

Habitat and Range

Dry grasslands, sagebrush shrublands and rocky slopes in the steppe and montane zones; locally frequent in extreme SC BC; S to OR.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Castilleja villicaulis Pennell & Ownbey