Castilleja indivisa

Castilleja indivisa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Genus:	Castilleja
Species:	C. indivisa
Binomial name
Castilleja indivisa Engelm. 1845[1]

Castilleja indivisa, commonly known as Texas Indian paintbrush or entireleaf Indian paintbrush, is a hemiparasitic annual wildflower native to Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma in the United States. There are historical records of the species formerly growing in Arkansas, and reports of naturalized populations in Florida and Alabama.^[2]

The bright red leaf-like bracts that surround the white to greenish flowers make the plant look like a ragged brush that has been dipped in red paint. They sometimes produce a light yellow or pure white variation mixed in with the reds.

Each plant typically grows 30–45 cm (12–18 in) in height. The leaves are long and stalkless. The roots grow until they reach the roots of other plants, mainly grasses, and then penetrate the roots of the "host" plant to obtain a portion of their needed nutrients (known as semi- or hemiparasitism).

Texas paintbrush typically blooms in early to mid-spring, and thrives in well-drained areas with full sun. They can be seen along highways and in fields, complementing the deep blue of the bluebonnets.

References[]

• Texas A&M University Texas Paintbrush
• University of Texas, Images of Castilleja indivisa
• Wild Seed Farms, Growing Instructions for Texas Paint Brush

External links[]

• Photo of herbarium specimen at Missouri Botanical Garden, collected in Republic of Texas in 1844

Media related to Castilleja indivisa at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Castilleja indivisa at Wikispecies