Castilleja linariifolia

Castilleja linariifolia
Castilleja linariifolia, in the Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Conservation status
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Genus:	Castilleja
Species:	C. linariifolia
Binomial name
Castilleja linariifolia Benth.

Castilleja linariifolia is a perennial plant, native to the United States and is the state flower of Wyoming. It has a number of common names including Prairie Fire,Wyoming Indian paintbrush, narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush, desert paintbrush, Wyoming desert paintbrush, Wyoming paintbrush, linaria-leaved Indian paintbrush, and Indian paintbrush. ^[2]

Castilleja linariifolia pinkish flowers

Description

It is a perennial herb. ^[3] It grows up to one meter in height and has sparse, linear leaves which are between 20 and 80 mm in length and have up to 3 lobes. ^[4] The flowers, which consist of a pinkish-red to yellow calyx and yellow-green floral tube, appear in panicles or spikes between June and September in its native range. ^[4]

Distribution and habitat

An illustration from National Geographic in 1917.

This species occurs on rocky slopes and arid plains and is associated with sagebrush scrub as well as pinyon pine or juniper woodland. ^[4] It is native to Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. ^[5]

Ecology

The Edith's checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha) in some areas such as Gunnison County, Colorado feeds nearly exclusively on the Wyoming paintbrush. Other species in the area such as Castilleja chromosa and Penstemon strictus have similar nutritional qualities, but the greater and more consistent availability of Wyoming paintbrush such as droughts are thought to have given the butterfly a preference for this paintbrush species. ^[6]

State flower

When options were being considered for a state flower for Wyoming, Dr. Grace Raymond Hebard from the University of Wyoming promoted this species over rival candidates including the columbine and fringed gentian. ^[2]

The State of Wyoming officially adopted the Indian paintbrush ("Castilleja linariaefolia") as the state flower of Wyoming on January 31, 1917. ^{[2] [7]}

See also

• List of U.S. state flowers

References

1. "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
2. "Wyoming State Flower Indian Paintbrush Castilleja linariaefolia". Netstate. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
3. "Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin". www.wildflower.org. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
4. "UC/JEPS: Jepson Manual treatment for Castilleja linariifolia". The University and Jepson Herbaria, University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
5. "PLANTS Profile for Castilleja linariifolia (Wyoming Indian paintbrush)". USDA. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
6. Holdren, Cheryl E.; Ehrlich, Paul R. (1982). "Ecological determinants of food plant choice in the checkerspot butterfly Euphydryas editha in Colorado". Oecologia. 52 (3): 417–423. Bibcode:1982Oecol..52..417H. doi:10.1007/BF00367970. PMID   28310406.
7. "Wyoming Statute 8-3-104". Wyoming Statutes. Archived from the original on 2008-05-11. Retrieved 2008-04-08.