Scrophulariaceae

Castilleja affinis ssp. litoralis

Seashore Paintbrush

Purplish erect stems, hairless or with fine short hairs, glandless, with few branches. Leaves lance-shaped, 1–3 in. long, entire or lobed, tips rounded. Inflorescence includes green bracts with 3–5 long red lobes, narrow red calyx lobes, hairy flower with yellow or red on edges of beak, green to dark violet lower lip. Grows in dry places along bluffs, chaparral near coast. Similar C. mendocinensis grows on California coast among shrubs, on dunes and bluffs below 300 ft., rarely in Curry County, Oregon. Leaves somewhat fleshy, inflorescence 1/4–3/4 in. long, with bright red to orange-red, widely wedge-shaped bracts, entire or 3-lobed, the central one widest with sharply pointed tips. Calyx shaggy-haired, with some glands, flower tiny, with shaggy hairs on back, edges reddish, lower lip green.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: Early Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 6--24 inches
• Habitat: Coastal
• Found In:
• Native: Yes