''Castilleja coccinea'', commonly known as scarlet Indian paintbrush or scarlet painted-cup, is a

biennial Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years. In particular, it can refer to: * Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and th ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the

Orobanchaceae Orobanchaceae, the broomrapes, is a family of mostly parasitic plants of the order Lamiales, with about 90 genera and more than 2000 species. Many of these genera (e.g., ''Pedicularis'', ''Rhinanthus'', ''Striga'') were formerly included in the ...

(broomrape) family. It is usually found in prairies, rocky glades, moist and open woodlands, thickets, and along streams in central and eastern North America.

Description

It is an upright, hairy, tall

hemiparasitic A parasitic plant is a plant that derives some or all of its nutritional requirements from another living plant. They make up about 1% of angiosperms and are found in almost every biome. All parasitic plants develop a specialized organ called the ...

plant. In its first year, the plant appears as a basal rosette, and in the second year the stem, usually unbranched, rises from the rosette. The basal leaves are oblong and mostly entire, and usually die before the flowres appear. The alternate stem leaves are deeply and irregularly lobed and measure up to long. The common names for this plant reflect the showy red

bracts In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

, inside of which is the actual greenish-yellow corolla ("flower"). ''Castilleja coccinea'' can be distinguished from other ''Castilleja'' of the southeastern US because it has a 2-to-3.5-millimeter long, thin yellowish or orangish lip on the corolla, the inflorescence bracts are deeply lobed, and the basal rosettes of leaves are usually well-developed.

Etymology

The genus name ''Castilleja'' is from the 18th-century Spanish botanist,

Domingo Castillejo Domingo Castillejo or Castillejos (died 1786) was a Spanish botanist, surgeon, and professor. From 1770 to 1786, he served as a professor of materia medica and botany at the Royal Naval College of Surgery in Cádiz, during which time his studie ...

. The specific epithet ''coccinea'' is Latin for 'red'.

Distribution and habitat

''C. coccinea'' is native throughout the central and eastern United States, from Oklahoma to the west, Florida to the south, Maine to the east, and the Canadian border to the north. It is listed as endangered in New York, Connecticut, and Maryland, It is critically imperiled in New Jersey, West Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, presumed

extirpated Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...

in Maine and new Hampshire, and possibly extirpated in Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. It is native in Canada in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, although it is critically imperiled in Saskatchewan. It is found in prairies, rocky glades, moist and open woodlands, thickets, and along streams. Castilleja coccinea yellow

Ecology

''C. coccinea'' have color polymorphism, which means that they can be yellow or scarlet in color, and this depends on the availability of pollinators such as bees. When pollinators are present, the scarlet ''C. coccinea'' tend to have a higher reproductive output, as they have higher seed and fruit set. On the other hand, the yellow ''C.coccinea'' would have a higher reproductive output when pollinators are scarce. Though it can survive on its own, studies indicate a forty-fold growth increase when its roots parasitize those of another plant for nutrients. It is primarily pollinated by

ruby-throated hummingbird The ruby-throated hummingbird (''Archilochus colubris'') is a species of hummingbird that generally spends the winter in Central America, Mexico, and Florida, and migrates to Canada and other parts of Eastern North America for the summer to bree ...

s who can transfer the pollen long distances between typically small and scattered populations of this plant.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q5049899 coccinea Flora of Canada Flora of the Eastern United States Parasitic plants Plants described in 1825