Family: Orobanchaceae
downy paintbrush, downy painted-cup, downy yellow painted-cup
Etymology: Castilleja: named for Professor Domingo Castillejo, an instructor of botany at Cadiz, Spain
Plants: erect, perennial, 5"-12" tall forb, softly hairy; stems clustered, very leafy, usually unbranched
Leaves: alternate; divided past the middle into 3 spreading, linear lobes
Flowers: yellow to whitish with a greenish bract similar to, but smaller than the leaves; 5-parted, curved petals longer than the bracts, upper lip covering the 4 stamens, lower lip much shorter, both lips only slightly flaring, the tube long and slender; inflorescence a 1"-2", dense, terminal spike; blooms May-July
Fruits: oval capsule
Habitat: dry; prairies, hillsides; in limy soil
Conservation Status: Native
Plants: erect, perennial, 5"-12" tall forb, softly hairy; stems clustered, very leafy, usually unbranched
Leaves: alternate; divided past the middle into 3 spreading, linear lobes
Flowers: yellow to whitish with a greenish bract similar to, but smaller than the leaves; 5-parted, curved petals longer than the bracts, upper lip covering the 4 stamens, lower lip much shorter, both lips only slightly flaring, the tube long and slender; inflorescence a 1"-2", dense, terminal spike; blooms May-July
Fruits: oval capsule
Habitat: dry; prairies, hillsides; in limy soil
Conservation Status: Native
Floristic Rating: Coefficient of Conservatism = 10 Atlas of the Wisconsin Prairie and Savanna Flora: by T.S. Cochrane & H.H. Iltis: habitat, distribution infomation / flowering and fruiting times USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS): Images of seeds, fruits, embryos, etc. Dan Tenaglia's The Missouri Flora: Fabulous photographs; detailed descriptions; color and leave arrangement key. Southwest School of Botanical Medicine: Britton & Brown Illustrated Flora - 2nd Edition (1913) "An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada"