365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Sunday, June 11, 2023
Castilleja Identification
Day 241: There are five species of Castilleja (Paintbrush) known from Mount Rainier National Park, and a couple of subspecies within them. The most common are vibrantly red, orange or magenta, and the least common of them is often described as "yellow." This has led to many erroneous reports of its occurrence when in fact the observer has found the yellow variation of Harsh Paintbrush (Castilleja hispida). As readers will undoubtedly know, the colourful portion of the Castillejas are not the flower of the plant. Rather, these are bracts, modified leaves. Observation of their shape can assist with making an identification of the species. Note that in the photos above, the tips are divided into several "tongues." This clearly defines both plants as C. hispida. When the true flowers appear, they will emerge from between the coloured bracts as pointy "beaks" like those just visible at the top of the red plant in the image.
Labels:
Castilleja hispida,
Harsh Paintbrush,
Westside Road
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