Castilleja

Castilleja, commonly known as Indian paintbrush or prairie-fire, is a genus of about 200 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants native to the west of the Americas from Alaska south to the Andes, northern Asia, and one species as far west as the Kola Peninsula in northwestern Russia. These plants are classified in the family Orobanchaceae (following major rearrangements of the order Lamiales starting around 2001; sources which do not follow these reclassifications may place them in the Scrophulariaceae). They are hemiparasitic on the roots of grasses and forbs. The generic name honors Spanish botanist Domingo Castillejo.[2]

Castilleja
Castilleja miniata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Orobanchaceae
Subtribe: Castillejinae
Genus: Castilleja
Mutis ex L.f.
Species

About 200, see text

Synonyms

Euchroma Nutt.
Gentrya Breedlove & Heckard[1]

Ecology

Castilleja species are eaten by the larvae of some lepidopteran species, including Schinia cupes (which has been recorded on C. exserta) and Schinia pulchripennis (which feeds exclusively on C. exserta), and checkerspot butterflies, such as Euphydryas species.

Uses

The flowers of Indian paintbrush are edible, and were consumed in moderation by various Native American tribes as a condiment with other fresh greens. These plants have a tendency to absorb and concentrate selenium in their tissues from the soils in which they grow, and can be potentially very toxic if the roots or green parts of the plant are consumed. Highly alkaline soils increase the selenium levels in the plants. Indian paintbrush has similar health benefits to consuming garlic if only the flowers are eaten in small amounts and in moderation.[3]

The Ojibwe used a hairwash made from Indian paintbrush to make their hair glossy and full bodied, and as a treatment for rheumatism. The high selenium content of this plant has been cited as the reason for its effectiveness for these purposes.

Symbolism

Castilleja linariifolia is the state flower of Wyoming.[4]

Selected species

Castilleja affinisCoast Indian paintbrush
Castilleja ambiguaPaintbrush owl's clover
Castilleja angustifoliaNorthwestern Indian paintbrush
Castilleja annuaAnnual Indian paintbrush
Castilleja applegateiApplegate's Indian paintbrush, wavyleaf Indian paintbrush
Castilleja aquariensisAquarius Plateau Indian paintbrush
Castilleja arachnoideaCobwebby Indian paintbrush
Castilleja arvensisField Indian paintbrush
Castilleja attenuataNarrowleaf owl's clover
Castilleja beldingii
Castilleja brevistyla
Castilleja campestrisvernal pool Indian paintbrush
Castilleja caudataPort Clarence Indian paintbrush
Castilleja cervinaDeer Indian paintbrush
Castilleja christiiChrist's Indian paintbrush
Castilleja chromosaDesert Indian paintbrush, desert paintbrush
Castilleja cinereaAshgray Indian paintbrush
Castilleja coccineaScarlet Indian paintbrush, Scarlet painted-cup
Castilleja cusickiiCusick's Indian paintbrush
Castilleja densiflora
Castilleja ecuadorensis
Castilleja elegansElegant Indian paintbrush
Castilleja elmeriElmer's Indian paintbrush
Castilleja exsertaPurple owl's clover, purple Indian paintbrush, exserted Indian paintbrush, escobita, formerly in Orthocarpus
Castilleja foliolosaTexas Indian paintbrush[5]
Castilleja fruticosa
Castilleja fulvaElko Indian paintbrush
Castilleja grisea
Castilleja guadalupensis(extinct)
Castilleja hispidaHarsh Indian paintbrush
Castilleja hyetophilaCoastal red Indian paintbrush
Castilleja hyperboreaNorthern Indian paintbrush
Castilleja indivisaEntireleaf Indian paintbrush, Texas paintbrush
Castilleja integraWholeleaf Indian paintbrush
Castilleja kaibabensisKaibab Indian paintbrush
Castilleja kerryana
Castilleja lacera
Castilleja lanataSierra woolly Indian paintbrush
Castilleja lasiorhyncha
Castilleja latifolia
Castilleja lautaRosy paintbrush
Castilleja lemmoniiLemmon's Indian paintbrush
Castilleja levisectaGolden paintbrush
Castilleja linariifoliaNarrowleaf Indian paintbrush
Castilleja lineariiloba
Castilleja lutescensStiff yellow Indian paintbrush
Castilleja mendocinensis
Castilleja miniataGreater red Indian paintbrush
Castilleja minorSmallflower Indian paintbrush, lesser Indian paintbrush
Castilleja mollisSoftleaf Indian paintbrush
Castilleja mutis
Castilleja nanaAlpine paintbrush
Castilleja neglectaTiburon Indian paintbrush
Castilleja nubigena
Castilleja occidentalisWestern Indian paintbrush
Castilleja ophiocephala
Castilleja pallescensPallid Indian paintbrush
Castilleja pallida var. lapponicaBoreal Indian paintbrush
Castilleja paramensis
Castilleja parvifloraSmall-flowered Indian paintbrush
Castilleja parvula
Castilleja peirsoniiPeirson's paintbrush
Castilleja pilosa
Castilleja plagiotomaMojave Indian paintbrush
Castilleja praeterita
Castilleja pruinosa
Castilleja pumilaLancetilla del Páramo
Castilleja purpurea
Castilleja raupiiRaup's Indian paintbrush, Raup's painted-cup
Castilleja rhexiifoliaRhexia-leaf Indian paintbrush, splitleaf Indian paintbrush
Castilleja rubicundulaCream sacs
Castilleja rupicolaCliff Indian paintbrush
Castilleja salsuginosaMonte Neva Indian paintbrush
Castilleja schizotricha
Castilleja septentrionalisLabrador Indian paintbrush, northern paintbrush
Castilleja sessilifloraDowny Indian paintbrush, downy paintbrush
Castilleja socorrensis
Castilleja subinclusa
Castilleja suksdorfiiSuksdorf's Indian paintbrush
Castilleja sulphureaSulphur Indian paintbrush
Castilleja tenuisHairy owl's clover
Castilleja thompsoniiThompson's Indian paintbrush
Castilleja wightiiWight's paintbrush
Castilleja unalaschcensisAlaska Indian paintbrush

References

  1. "Genus: Castilleja Mutis ex L. f." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2006-03-30. Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2010-10-22.
  2. Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names. I: A-C. CRC Press. p. 455. ISBN 978-0-8493-2675-2.
  3. Tilford, Gregory L. (1997). Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West. Mountain Press Publishing. pp. 82–83. ISBN 978-0-87842-359-0.
  4. Wyoming Statute 8-3-104 (Title 8) Archived 2008-05-11 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "PLANTS Profile for Castilleja foliolosa (Texas Indian paintbrush)". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved March 9, 2013.

Further reading

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