of the Central Cascades

Paintbrushes (Castilleja spp.) are some of our showiest and best-loved wildflowers. They are also considered some of the hardest species to identify. Here is a simple primer to the species that occur in the central Cascades, the focus of the 2016 Native Society Annual Meeting.

Key to Castilleja species of the Central Cascades

1. Inflorescenses generally white, yellow, or greenish, rarely rusty reddish. 2. cespitose, well branched perennials with showy yellow to rust-colored inflorescenses; high elevation sites on igneous gravels...... C. arachnoidea 2' Plants slender, unbranched annuals with mostly white and green inflorescenses; low to moderate elevation sites on various substrates. 3. Upper bracts green with white tips, flowers white to cream with spots, lip slightly inflated...... C. attenuata 3' All bracts green, flowers white to cream unspotted or inconspicuously spotted, lip conspicuously inflated into 3 sacs...... C. tenuis 1' Inflorescenses generally bright red, with or without some yellow or green; rare individuals may be yellow, orange, or pink. 4. Generally found in rocky habitats. 5. Leaves usually entire to occasionally 3-lobed; leaves and stems grayish with at least some forked hairs . C. pruinosa 5' Leaves 3–7-lobed; leaves and stems green to somewhat purplish with unbranched hairs. 6. Central part of leaf blade ≤ 2 times wider than side lobes, hairs short...... C. rupicola 6' Central part of leaf blade ≥ 3 times wider than side lobes, hairs long...... C. hispida 4' Generally found in meadows or wetlands. 7. All leaves usually entire, bracts entire or 3-lobed; plants often branched...... C. miniata 7' Some to all leaves usually 3–5-lobed, bracts 3–5-lobed; plants rarely branched 8. Bracts mostly rosy red to pink or magenta with small green base, plants usually ≤ 30 cm tall, stems clustered from woody caudex...... C. parviflora 8' Bracts tipped red with narrow yellow band above wide green base; plants usually ≥ 30 cm tall, stems solitary from short rhizomes ...... C. suksdorfii

Castilleja rupicola cliff paintbrush plants: perennial, 4–10” (10–25 cm) inflorescences: red bracts with yellow-green flowers leaves: delicate, narrowly lobed leaves, often with a red or purple cast habitat: cliffs, often north-facing in our area, mid- to high elevation locations: Coffin Mtn, Horsepasture Mtn, Lowder Mtn, Pyramids Trail, Tidbits Mtn.

Harsh paintbrush (Castilleja hispida) at Bachelor Mountain Castilleja arachnoidea cobwebby paintbrush ( attenuatus) plants: perennial, 4–10” (10–25 cm) narrowleaf owlclover inflorescences: pale yellow to rusty plants: annual, 4–16" (10–40 cm) orange bracts with short green flowers inflorescences: green bracts tipped leaves: narrowly lobed, often tinted with white, deeply divided into 3 red or purple, covered with white hairs narrow lobes; white and pale yellow habitat: open gravel or pumice, high flowers with small red to black spots elevation leaves: entire at base to deeply divided locations: seen at Olallie in 1968 into 3 narrow lobes near the top habitat: meadows, lower elevation locations: Deer Creek

Castilleja hispida harsh paintbrush scarlet paintbrush plants: perennial, 8–24” (20–60 cm) plants: perennial, 16–32" (40–80 cm) inflorescences: orangey red bracts inflorescences: red bracts with green with short green flowers, blunt calices and red flowers, often feel slimy to leaves: wide with lateral lobes, touch from glandular hairs sometimes tinged red to purple, leaves: usually unlobed covered with long hairs habitat: meadows, wetlands, habitat: outcrops, roadcuts, cliffs, low roadsides, low to mid elevations to mid elevations locations: Echo Basin, Horsepasture, locations: Bachelor Mtn., Browder Indian Ridge, Lowder, Olallie, Park Ridge, Coffin, Horsepasture, Iron Mtn., Creek, Tidbits Lowder, Pyramids Trail, Tidbits

Castilleja parviflora rosy paintbrush frosted paintbrush plants: perennial, 6–12” (15–30 cm) plants: perennial, 8–24" (20–60 cm) inflorescences: 3–5-lobed, rose- inflorescences: red-tipped bracts red to pink bracts with yellow-green with green and yellow at the bases, flowers yellow-green flowers leaves: with pair(s) of lateral lobes leaves: entire to single pair of lateral habitat: meadows, mid- to high lobes, frequently purple-tinged, elevation close to Cascade crest hairy, some to all hairs forked (at 10× magnification), low to mid elevations locations: Canyon Creek Meadows, McKenzie Pass, Scott Mtn habitat: outcrops, gravel locations: seen at Olallie in 1968

Castilleja suksdorfii Suksdorf’s paintbrush (Orthocarpus hispidus) plants: perennial, 12–24" (30–60 cm) hairy owlclover inflorescences: relatively short and plants: annual, 4–16” (10–40 cm) wide, red-tipped bracts with green inflorescences: green bracts, deeply and yellow at the bases, yellow-green divided into 3 narrow lobes; white flowers flowers with inflated lips leaves: usually 3-lobed at least on leaves: entire at base to deeply divided upper stem, sometimes entire into 3 narrow lobes near the top habitat: wetlands, mid- to high habitat: meadows, lower elevation elevation, close to Cascade crest locations: Deer Creek locations: Echo Basin, Hand Lake, Tombstone Pass, Park Creek