Castilleja nana

Submitted by Weiser on

Castilleja nana grows in dry, rocky alpine habitat. From the Sierra Nevada range east through Nevada with a toe hold in western Utah. You find it growing at elevations of 6500'-12000' (2000-3700m) It stands about 6"-10" (15-25cm) tall.

http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=1721
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_egger_castilleja/sets/72157624362938442/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_egger_castilleja/sets/72157624362669902/

A couple of my photos.

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Comments

Submitted by Mark McD on Sat, 11/19/2011 - 14:51

John, do you grow this one?  It's a fine looking small species.  I checked out the links, and looked through a variety of color forms shown on CalPhotos, here are some more selected links.

CalPhotos:
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/img_query?where-taxon=Castilleja+n...
...selected photos:
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0707+1581
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0707+1580
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+1102+0290

Submitted by Weiser on Sat, 11/19/2011 - 15:45

Mark
The high elevation species usually bloom in August through September and I never seem to get up to their elevation in October when the seed needs to be gathered but I keep an eye out for it. It's on may list.

Submitted by Lori S. on Sat, 11/19/2011 - 22:30

Another really nice paintbrush!  The CalPhoto pix show quite a range of colours, too.  Identifying Castilleja in your area must be quite a challenge with all those species... (I find it baffling enough here with only 10 or so species and hybrids!)

Submitted by Weiser on Sun, 11/20/2011 - 07:23

Lori
I find it to be a challenge no matter what I'm trying to ID. I found that the simplest way to ID a plant is to buddy up with a Botanist that knows the area. Now if you get two of them together it's best to wait until they hash things over and reach a conscience. ;) 

Submitted by Lori S. on Sun, 11/20/2011 - 11:22

Ha, great idea!  Now what reasonably willing and quick-footed botanist could I drag out on hikes with us? 
And, yes, your last observation applies equally well to expert geologists!

Submitted by Hoy on Sun, 11/20/2011 - 12:27

Well, one is enough even if he isn't a botanist either. I often can't agree with myself ;D

PS. I have just started gathering paintbrushes. Still waiting for the first flowers but I hope next summer. . . .

Can't forget the first paintbrush I ever saw - in a short-grass savannah-like meadow high up in Ecuador in October 2000! (Sorry, only oldfashioned slides)