''Castilleja exserta'' (formerly ''Orthocarpus purpurascens'') is a species of plant in the genus ''Castilleja'' which includes the Indian paintbrushes. Its common names include purple owl's clover, escobita, and exserted Indian paintbrush. This species is native to the Southwestern United States in various

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s of

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, and

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

; and to Northwestern Mexico. It is an

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived ther ...

in Hawaii.

Description

''Castilleja exserta'' is an annual herb about tall with a hairy stem covered in thready leaves. Like other related ''Castilleja'' plants, this species is a

hemiparasite 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 ...

, deriving some of its nutrients directly from the roots of other plants by infiltrating them with

haustoria In botany and mycology, a haustorium (plural haustoria) is a rootlike structure that grows into or around another structure to absorb water or nutrients. For example, in mistletoe or members of the broomrape family, the structure penetrates th ...

. As a result, its own leaves are small and reduced. Although this species is variable in appearance and easily hybridizes with other ''

Castilleja ''Castilleja'', commonly known as paintbrush, Indian paintbrush, or prairie-fire, is a genus of about 200 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants native to the west of the Americas from Alaska south to the Andes, northern Asia, and on ...

'' species, it generally bears a brightly colored inflorescence of shaggy pink-purple or lavender flowers. The thin, erect bracts are usually tipped with the same color, giving the inflorescence the appearance of a

paintbrush A paintbrush is a brush used to apply paint or ink. A paintbrush is usually made by clamping bristles to a handle with a ferrule. They are available in various sizes, shapes, and materials. Thicker ones are used for filling in, and thinner on ...

Varieties

Varieties Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

include: *''Castilleja exserta'' var. ''exserta'' — pale purple owlclover. *''Castilleja exserta'' var. ''latifolia'' — wideleaf Indian paintbrush;

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to coastal California. *''Castilleja exserta'' var. ''venusta'' — endemic to California:

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily ...

, southern

San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven ...

Bay checkerspot butterfly host

This is a crucial host plant for the

Bay checkerspot butterfly The Bay checkerspot (''Euphydryas editha bayensis'') is a butterfly endemic to the San Francisco Bay region of the U.S. state of California. It is a federally threatened species, as a subspecies of '' Euphydryas editha''. Since the 1980s the p ...

(''Euphydryas editha bayensis''), which is a threatened species that is endemic to the San Francisco Bay region in California. The seeds were harvested by

indigenous peoples of California The indigenous peoples of California (known as Native Californians) are the indigenous inhabitants who have lived or currently live in the geographic area within the current boundaries of California before and after the arrival of Europeans. ...

for food.Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Information Network (NPIN) — ''Castilleja exserta'' (Purple owl's clover)
. accessed 3.23.2013 File:Castilleja exserta.jpg File:Castilleja exserta 8038.JPG, 2015 File:Castilleja exserta 8040.JPG, Antelope Valley Purple owl's clover

References

External links