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Castilleja coccinea
Castilleja coccinea (L.) Spreng.
Scarlet Paintbrush, Scarlet Indian Paintbrush, Painted Cup, Indian Paintbrush
Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)
Synonym(s): Castilleja ludoviciana
USDA Symbol: CACO17
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
1-2 ft., upright, hairy, annual or biennial with showy scarlet bracts which nearly hide the small greenish flowers. Flowers hidden in axils of scarlet-tipped, fan-shaped bracts and arranged in a dense spike. Leaves divide into three, narrow lobes.
The conspicuous, red-tipped bracts appear to have been dipped in paint. This genus of more than 200 species is especially common in the western United States. Purple Painted Cup (C. purpurea), with purple or violet bracts, occurs from southwestern Missouri to Texas. Great Plains Paintbrush (C. sessiliflora), found from Alberta east to Manitoba and south to Illinois, Missouri, and Texas, has green bracts. Pale Painted Cup (C. septentrionalis) has whitish or creamy bracts, often suffused with bronze or dull purple, and is found from Manitoba east to Newfoundland and south to Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Michigan, and Minnesota.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: AnnualHabit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 28 inches tall, often shorter.
Leaf: Green
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , Red , Pink , Orange , Yellow , GreenBloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep
Distribution
USA: AL , AR , CT , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , VA , WI , WVCanada: MB , ON
Native Distribution: MA to s.e. Sask., s. to n. FL, MS, LA, e. OK & e. KS
Native Habitat: Moist to dry prairies; meadows; roadsides
Growing Conditions
Water Use: MediumLight Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Soil Description: Damp, sandy soils.
Conditions Comments: Roots grow until they touch the roots of other plants, frequently grasses, then penetrate the roots of these host plants, obtaining a portion of their nutrients. Transplanting paintbrush usually kills it.
Benefit
Use Medicinal: Amerindians used weak flower tea for rheumatism, "female diseases", as a love charm in food and as a poison.Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Propagation
Commercially Avail: yesFind Seed or Plants
Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | FAC | FAC | FACU | FAC | FAC |
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR
Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE
Bibliography
Bibref 417 - Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (2000) Foster, S. & J. A. DukeBibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Castilleja coccinea in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Castilleja coccinea in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Castilleja coccinea
Metadata
Record Modified: 2022-10-28Research By: TWC Staff