Desert Paintbrush

Castilleja chromosa, the desert paintbrush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae found in the western United States. They are distributed in dry scrub, steppe, and desert. They have colorful inflorescences which range from yellow to red in hue. This color is given not by the flowers, which are small, but by the colorful bracts. The plants grow up to nearly half a meter (~1.5 ft) tall and are slightly bristly and greyish-green. Their stems do not branch, and their leaves are small and lance-shaped. Partial parasites, they steal some of their nutrients from neighboring plants.

From Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Is it poisonous?

We have no record of Desert Paintbrush being toxic, poisonous or venomous. That is not proof that it is safe. Never eat, touch or handle a wild plant, mushroom or animal on the strength of an identification; ask someone qualified.

Easily confused with

• Castilleja scabrida
• Castilleja gleasoni
• Castilleja angustifolia
• Castilleja covilleana
• Castilleja peckiana
• Castilleja lanata

Classification

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Lamiales

Family

Orobanchaceae

Genus

Castilleja

Species

Castilleja chromosa

More species