Castilleja occidentalis

Torrey

Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2: 230. 1827.

Common names: Western or western yellow paintbrush
Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 17. Treatment on page 635. Mentioned on page 578, 612, 651, 657.

Herbs, perennial, 0.7–2 (–3) dm; from a small, woody caudex; with a taproot. Stems several to many, erect or ascending, usually short-decumbent at base, unbranched, sometimes glabrous proximally, hairs spreading, long, soft, mixed with medium length to short-stipitate-glandular ones only in inflorescence. Leaves green to deep purple, linear-lanceolate to broadly lanceolate (to linear on sterile shoots), 1.5–4 (–5.5) cm, not fleshy, margins plane, flat, prominently veined, 0–3 (–5) -lobed, apex acute to rounded; lobes ascending, lanceolate, apex acute. Inflorescences 2–7 (–10) × 1–3.5 cm; bracts greenish to pale greenish yellow throughout, often aging dull reddish-brown or reddish purple proximally, rarely dull reddish-brown throughout, or proximally green, dull reddish-brown, or reddish purple, distally greenish white, yellow, or cream, broadly lanceolate to widely oblong to ovate, 0–3 (–7) -lobed; lobes ascending, triangular to lanceolate, medium length, usually arising at or above mid length, rarely just below, central lobe apex obtuse to rounded, others acute. Calyces proximally green to purple, distally colored as bracts, 12–20 mm; abaxial and adaxial clefts 5–9 (–10) mm, 40–50% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 1–3 (–4.5) mm, 5–20% of calyx length; lobes lanceolate to triangular, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded. Corollas straight, 16–25 mm; tube 9–15 mm; teeth and part of abaxial lip sometimes exserted, beak exserted; beak adaxially green, (2.5–) 5–9 mm; abaxial lip green, reduced, often visible through abaxial cleft, slightly pouched, 1.5–3 mm, 25–50% as long as beak; teeth incurved to ascending, white, sometimes green, 0.7–2 mm. 2n = 24, 48.


Phenology: Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat: Meadows, gravel slopes, talus, ridges, mostly upper subalpine to alpine.
Elevation: 1500–4300 m.

Distribution

Alta., B.C., Colo., Mont., N.Mex., Utah.

Discussion

Castilleja occidentalis has a wide distribution in the southern Rocky Mountains, a gap in its distribution in Wyoming, and reappears in Montana and the Canadian Rockies. Bract lobing and color vary considerably but without correlation to geography. Although C. occidentalis resembles an alpine form of C. septentrionalis, C. occidentalis is missing in several regions in the distribution of the latter, even when extensive areas of suitable habitat are available, and has a discrete range.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Castilleja occidentalis"
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
rounded +, obtuse +  and acute +
J. Mark Egger +, Peter F. Zika +, Barbara L. Wilson +, Richard E. Brainerd +  and Nick Otting +
Torrey +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
not +, leathery +  and fleshy +
cream;yellow;greenish white;reddish purplecream;yellow;greenish white;reddish purple;reddish-brown;cream;yellow;greenish white;reddish purple;reddish-brown;cream;yellow;greenish white;reddish purple;reddish-brown;cream;yellow;greenish white;reddish purple;reddish-brown;cream;yellow;greenish white;reddish purple;reddish-brown;dull;green;reddish-brown;reddish purple;reddish-brown;dull;aging;yellow;greenish;pale greenishn;dull;aging;yellow;greenish;pale greenish +
0-3(-7)-lobed +, broadly lanceolate +  and widely oblong +
colored +, proximally green +  and purple +
2-lobed +, lobed +  and tubular +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
taprooted;fibrous-rooted or rhizomatous +
fleshy +  and woody +
Western or western yellow paintbrush +
purple +, pink +, red +, orange +, yellow +, white +, green +  and pale greenish +
divided +  and tubular +
1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Colo. +, Mont. +, N.Mex. +  and Utah. +
1500–4300 m. +
spreading-hairy +  and glabrous +
2 +  and 1 +
indehiscent +, septicidal +, loculicidal +  and dehiscence +
Meadows, gravel slopes, talus, ridges, mostly upper subalpine to alpine. +
much-branched +, unbranched +  and eglandular +
stipitate-glandular +
7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
axillary +  and terminal +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
spiral +, whorled +, alternate +  and opposite +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (5.5 cm55 mm <br />0.055 m <br />) +
green +  and deep purple +
deciduous +
basal +  and cauline +
linear-lanceolate;broadly lanceolate +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
not fleshy +
above mid lobes +, arising +  and ascending +
3 (?) +, 2 (?) +  and 4 (?) +
lanceolate +  and triangular +
subequal +
0-3(-5)-lobed +  and plane +
tenuinucellate +  and unitegmic +
campylotropous-like +
Flowering Jun–Sep. +
Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York +
stramineous +
20 +  and 100 +
trapezoidal +, oblong-ovoid +, pyramidal +  and ovoid +
non-secund +  and secund +
elongate +
subequal +
aerial +  and subterranean +
ascending +  and erect +
several;many +
not fleshy +
2-lobed +  and entire +
Euchroma +  and Oncorhynchus +
Castilleja occidentalis +
Castilleja +
species +
green +  and white +
shallow;deep +
incurved +  and ascending +
reduced +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +