Castilleja indivisa

Taxobox
name = Texas Paintbrush

---

regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Lamiales
familia = Orobanchaceae
genus = "Castilleja"
species = "C. indivisa"
binomial = "Castilleja indivisa"
binomial_authority = Engelm.

Texas Paintbrush ("Castilleja indivisa"), also known as Entireleaf Indian Paintbrush, is a hemiparasitic annual wildflower native to Texas in the United States. The bright red leaf-like bracts that surround the white to greenish flowers make the plant look like a ragged brush that has been dipped in red paint. They sometimes produce a light yellow or pure white variation mixed in with the reds.

Each plant typically grows 12-18" (30-45 cm) in height. The leaves are long and stalkless. The roots grow until they reach the roots of other plants, mainly grasses, and then penetrate the roots of the "host" plant to obtain a portion of their needed nutrients (known as semi or hemiparasitism).

Texas Paintbrush typically blooms in early to mid-spring, and thrives in well-drained areas with full sun. They can be seen along highways and in fields, complementing the deep blue of the bluebonnets.

References

* [http://uvalde.tamu.edu/herbarium/caind.htm Texas Paintbrush]
* [http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/mbierner/bio406d/images/pics/oro/castilleja_indivisa.htm Images of "Castilleja indivisa"]