Martin's Paintbrush
Indian Paintbrush
Castilleja applegatei ssp. martinii
Color: Red
Common name: Martin's Paintbrush, wavyleaf Indian paintbrush
Latin name: Castilleja applegatei ssp. martinii
Family: OROBANCHACEAE
Height: 12 to 31 inches tall.
Description: Numerous erect stems with bright, red-to-orange, flower-like tips. The actual flower is tube-shaped almost hidden within the colourful bracts. Like others in the genus, this is a semi-parasitic plant.
Leaf: 20–70 mm, ± lanceolate, lobes 0–3, generally wavy-margined — one of the distinguishing characteristics of this species.
Range: Inner North Coast Ranges, e San Francisco Bay Area, Inner South Coast Ranges, Southwestern California, East of Sierra Nevada, Desert Mountains
Habitat: Dry chaparral, open yellow-pine forest, sagebrush scrub.
Elevation: 300–2800 m.
Flowering time: May–Sep
Notes: Photographed June 6, 2009 in the San Gabriel Mtns., Lightning Ridge Nature Trail, Los Angeles County, Calif. A dicot, is a perennial herb that is native to California and is found only slightly beyond California borders. Distribution outside California: n Baja California, s Nevada. Like others in the Castilleja species, it is hemiparasitic — partially parasitic — but makes some of its own food.
We have an online wildflower field guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone, iPad and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.
Photo tips: Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography.
Mojave Desert Wildflowers - This book is the standard by which all other wildflower books are measured. The author, Jon Mark Stewart, has combined super photography with concise information. This book has an entire color page for each wildflower covered, with a discussion of the wildflower. 210 pages with 200 color photos. More...
What's Blooming Now - Check the Wildflower Reports
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