Castilleja applegatei

Castilleja applegatei
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Orobanchaceae
Genus: Castilleja
Species:
C. applegatei
Binomial name
Castilleja applegatei
Castilleja applegatei flowerspike and characteristic wavy leaves

Castilleja applegatei is a species of Castilleja known by the common names Applegate's Indian paintbrush and wavyleaf Indian paintbrush.

It is native to the western United States. It is a short perennial with sticky, wavy-edged leaves, which are divided closer to the top of the plant.[1] It bears bright, showy paintbrush-shaped inflorescences of small red[1] to yellowish-red tubular flowers.

Like other species of Indian paintbrush, it is a root parasite, feeding off plants such as sagebrush.[1] Although it can survive without parasitizing other plants, individuals that take a host grow faster and larger.

There are five subspecies. They are variable in appearance but distinguishable from other Castilleja species by the wavy margins and stickiness of the leaves.

  1. ^ a b c Taylor, Ronald J. (1994) [1992]. Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary (rev. ed.). Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Pub. Co. p. 58. ISBN 0-87842-280-3. OCLC 25708726.