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Castilleja exserta

Castilleja exserta (A. Heller) T.I. Chuang & Heckard

Purple Owl's Clover, Owl's Clover, Exserted Indian Paintbrush, Escobita

Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: caex14

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), HI (I)

An erect, little plant with a rose and yellow or rose and white flower cluster; flowers and flower bracts velvety and rose-purple on divided tips.

Following a wet spring, acre upon acre is carpeted with this beautiful wildflower. The Spanish name, Escobita, means �little broom� and describes the flower cluster. The origin of the English common name is unknown, but it may refer to the swollen, head-like ends of the erect corollas that seem to peer from the bracts as owls peer from the leaves of a tree. Careful study has demonstrated that this plant is not an Orthocarpus, as previously classified (O. purpurascens), but instead belongs to a lineage of Castilleja.

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 18 inches tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Red , Pink , Yellow , Green , Purple
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun
Bloom Notes: Corollas rarely white or yellow.

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , MA , NM
Native Habitat: Fields, deserts, and open, wooded areas.

Benefit

Use Food: Seeds harvested by indigenous Californians.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Butterflies
Nectar Source: yes

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Description: Sow seed shallowly in fall to take advantage of fall rains.

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

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

Bibliography

Bibref 995 - Native Landscaping from El Paso to L.A. (2000) Wasowski, S. and A. Wasowski
Bibref 1218 - Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources (2006) Anderson, M. Kat

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) Calflora
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 exserta in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Castilleja exserta in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Castilleja exserta

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-10-28
Research By: TWC Staff

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