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.