Castilleja linariifolia (Wyoming Indian Paintbrush)

Castilleja linariifolia

Castilleja linariifolia Benth.

Castilleja linearis Rydb.

Castilleja linariifolia Benth. var. omnipubescens (Pennell) Clokey

Castilleja trainii Edwin

Wyoming Indian Paintbrush, Narrow-leaved Indian Paintbrush, Wyoming Paintbrush, Linaria-leaved Indian Paintbrush

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Lamiales	Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary
Family	Orobanchaceae	Broomrape family of parasitic plants
Genus	Castilleja	Named for Spanish botanist Domingo Castillejo
Species	linariifolia	Named for the resemblence of the leaves to those of genus Linaria. (Curiously, Linaria in turn means “resembles flax,” since some species’ leaves slightly resemble those of flax)

About plant names...

As with many other members of the Castilleja genus, Wyoming Indian paintbrush, the state flower of Wyoming, is native to several states in western North America. If you’re interested in Castillejas, don’t miss Mark Egger’s superb photographic compilation on Flickr. They appear from April to October. See also this Castilleja comparison table.

Identification: Plants are 12-40' (3.7-12 m) tall, and often branched. (Plants sometimes approach 6½' (2 m) in height.) Initially grayish-green, stems and leaves become tinged with purple over time. Leaves are linear, long and narrow, usually entire (undivided), though sometimes upper leaves are lobed. They are often curled, appearing almost tubelike. Flowerheads are ⅞-2" (2.5-5.2 cm) in size. Bright red bracts (modified leaves) about 1¼" (3.4 cm) long mostly hide drab yellow-greenish flowers within. Flowers appear from May to October. Fruits are two-chambered capsules.

Online References:

Castilleja linariifolia at Mark Egger’s Castilleja site on Flickr

Castilleja linariifolia on Turner Photographics' Wildflowers site

Castilleja linariifolia on CalPhotos

Castilleja linariifolia on the USDA Plants Database

Castilleja linariifolia on Wildflowers, Ferns & Trees of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah

Castilleja linariifolia at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Castilleja linariifolia on Wikipedia

References:

Turner, Mark, Gustafson, Phyllis, Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest, Timber Press, 2006, p. 367

Castilleja linariifolia description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.