Castilleja occidentalis, July 8, 2020
C. occidentalis, July 15, 2020
Common & scientific name
Western Indian paintbrush, Castilleja occidentalis
Family
Broomrape, Orobanchaceae
Location
Green Mountain summit, 12,800’ & upper Lost Man 12,500
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
What a wonderful alpine fuzzball this is! Especially when it hybridizes with other paintbrushes like the magenta C. rhexifolia to create tie-dyed, striped wonders.
While there is much discussion among botanists about the proper classification of paintbrushes, including the genetic difference (if any) between C. occidentalis and the similarly yellowish-white C. sulphurea (also called C. septentrionalis), the two are readily distinguishable in the field by their elevation (C. occidentalis is an alpine plant, C. sulphurea is found lower), their size (C. occidentalis is shorter), and their fuzziness factor (C. occidentalis wins!)
Castilleja hybrid, July 17, 2020