Indian paintbrush

Castilleja
Northwestern Indian paintbrush Castilleja angustifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Genus:	Castilleja Mutis ex L.f.
Species
About 200, see text

Castilleja, commonly known as 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, as well as northeast Asia. These plants are classified in the family Orobanchaceae, They are hemiparasitic on the roots of grasses and forbs.

Castilleja species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Schinia cupes (which has been recorded on C. exserta) and Schinia pulchripennis (which feeds exclusively on C. exserta), and checkerspot butterflies such as Euphydryas species.

One of the species of this genus, Castilleja linariifolia, was adopted on January 31, 1917 as the state flower of Wyoming.^[1]

Uses and toxicity

The flowers of Indian paintbrush are edible and sweet, and were consumed in moderation by various American Indian tribes as a condiment with other fresh greens. These plants have a tendency to absorb and concentrate Selenium in their tissues from the soils in which they grow, and can be potentially very toxic if the roots or green parts of the plant are consumed.

The Chippewa Indians used a hairwash made from Indian Paintbrush to make their hair glossy and full bodied and as a treatment for rheumatism. The high selenium content of this plant has been cited as the reason for its effectiveness for these purposes. Nevada Indian Tribes used the plant to treat venereal diseases and to enhance the immune system. Various other tribes used the plant as its name suggests -- as a paintbrush .

The high Selenium content of this plant makes it potentially toxic if consumed in large quantities. This plant should be avoided as food if found growing in highly alkaline soils, which will increase the selenium levels in the plants. Indian Paintbrush has similar health benefits to consuming garlic if only the flowers are eaten in small amounts and in moderation.^[2]

Selected species

	Castilleja affinis	Coast Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja ambigua	Paintbrush owl's clover
	Castilleja angustifolia	Northwestern Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja annua	Annual Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja applegatei	Applegate's Indian paintbrush, Wavyleaf Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja arachnoidea	Cobwebby Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja arvensis
	Castilleja attenuata	Narrowleaf owl's clover
	Castilleja brevistyla
	Castilleja campestris
	Castilleja caudata	Port Clarence Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja cervina	Deer Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja chromosa	Desert Indian paintbrush, Desert paintbrush
	Castilleja cinerea
	Castilleja coccinea	Scarlet Indian paintbrush, Scarlet painted-cup
	Castilleja cusickii	Cusick's Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja densiflora
	Castilleja ecuadorensis
	Castilleja elegans	Elegant Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja elmeri	Elmer's Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja exserta	Purple owl's clover, Purple Indian paintbrush, Exserted Indian paintbrush, escobita. Formerly in Orthocarpus.
	Castilleja foliolosa	Texas Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja fruticosa
	Castilleja fulva	Elko Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja grisea
	Castilleja guadalupensis	(extinct)
	Castilleja hispida	Harsh Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja hyetophila	Coastal red Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja hyperborea	Northern Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja indivisa	Entireleaf Indian paintbrush, Texas paintbrush
	Castilleja lacera
	Castilleja lanata	Sierra woolly Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja lasiorhyncha
	Castilleja latifolia
	Castilleja lemmonii	Lemmon's Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja levisecta	Golden paintbrush
	Castilleja linariifolia	Narrowleaf Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja lineariiloba
	Castilleja lutescens	Stiff yellow Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja mendocinensis
	Castilleja miniata	Greater red Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja minor	Smallflower Indian paintbrush, lesser Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja mollis	Softleaf Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja mutis
	Castilleja nana
	Castilleja neglecta	Tiburon Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja nubigena
	Castilleja occidentalis	Western Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja pallescens	Pallid Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja pallida
	Castilleja parviflora	Small-flowered Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja parvula
	Castilleja pilosa
	Castilleja praeterita
	Castilleja pruinosa
	Castilleja raupii	Raup's Indian paintbrush, Raup's painted-cup
	Castilleja rhexiifolia	Rhexia-leaf Indian paintbrush, splitleaf Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja rubicundula	Cream sacs
	Castilleja rupicola	Cliff Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja schizotricha
	Castilleja septentrionalis	Labrador Indian paintbrush, Northern paintbrush
	Castilleja sessiliflora	Downy Indian paintbrush, Downy paintbrush
	Castilleja socorrensis
	Castilleja subinclusa
	Castilleja sulphurea	Sulphur Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja tenuis	Hairy owl's clover
	Castilleja thompsonii	Thompson's Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja unalaschcensis	Alaska Indian paintbrush
	Castilleja yukonis	Yukon Indian paintbrush

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Castilleja

• Native Plant Information Network: Listing of species in the Castilleja genus.

Jepson Manual - taxonomic description of the genus.