Castilleja exserta

Castilleja exserta (formerly Orthocarpus purpurascens) is a species of plant in the genus Castilleja which includes the Indian paintbrushes. Its common names include purple owl's clover, escobita, and exserted Indian paintbrush.^[2]

Castilleja exserta
Conservation status
Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)^[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Genus:	Castilleja
Species:	C. exserta
Binomial name
Castilleja exserta (Heller) Chuang & Heckard

This species is native to the Southwestern United States in various habitats of California, Arizona, and New Mexico; and to Northwestern Mexico.^[3] It is an introduced species in Hawaii.

Description

 

Foliage and stem, before flowering.

Castilleja exserta is an annual herb about 100–450 millimetres (4–18 in) tall with a hairy stem covered in thready leaves. Like other related Castilleja plants, this species is a hemiparasite, deriving some of its nutrients directly from the roots of other plants by infiltrating them with haustoria. As a result, its own leaves are small and reduced.

Although this species is variable in appearance and easily hybridizes with other Castilleja species, it generally bears a brightly colored inflorescence of shaggy pink-purple or lavender flowers. The thin, erect bracts are usually tipped with the same color, giving the inflorescence the appearance of a paintbrush.^[4]

Varieties

Varieties include:

• Castilleja exserta var. exserta — pale purple owlclover.^[5][6]
• Castilleja exserta var. latifolia — wideleaf Indian paintbrush; endemic to coastal California.^[6][7][8]
• Castilleja exserta var. venusta — endemic to California: Mojave Desert, southern San Joaquin Valley.^{[6][9][10][11]}

Bay checkerspot butterfly host

This is a crucial host plant for the Bay checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha bayensis), which is a threatened species that is endemic to the San Francisco Bay region in California.

The seeds were harvested by indigenous peoples of California for food.^[12]

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  2015
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  Antelope Valley Purple owl's clover

References

1. "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
2. CalFlora database: Castilleja exserta . accessed 3.23.2013
3. Sullivan, Steven. K. (2018). "Castilleja exserta". Wildflower Search. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
4. "Castilleja exserta". in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora. Jepson Herbarium; University of California, Berkeley. 2018. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
5. CalFlora: Castilleja exserta ssp. exserta
6. "Castilleja exserta (A.Heller) T.I.Chuang & Heckard | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
7. CalFlora: Castilleja exserta ssp. latifolia
8. "Castilleja exserta var. latifolia (S.Watson) J.M.Egger | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
9. CalFlora: Castilleja exserta ssp. venusta
10. USDA: C. e. ssp. venusta
11. "Castilleja exserta var. venusta (A.Heller) J.M.Egger | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
12. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Information Network (NPIN) — Castilleja exserta (Purple owl's clover) . accessed 3.23.2013

External links

•   Media related to Castilleja exserta at Wikimedia Commons
• — at Henry Coe State Park, S.F. Bay Area.
• Castilleja exserta — U.C. Photo gallery