Scrophulariaceae

Castilleja levisecta

Golden Paintbrush

Clump covered with very fine hairs and few tiny glands. Stems many, upright, usually unbranched. Leaves oblong, with 5–7 short lobes. Bract and calyx lobes pointed, yellow or occasionally orange-yellow. Greenish flowers shorter than bracts. Grows in low-elevation meadows, including Puget Sound. Federally listed as threatened in United States. Only 2 sites left in Canada with about 2000 plants; rare and endangered in Washington; reported extirpated from its historical range in Willamette Valley, Oregon. The pressures of an increasing human population have resulted in C. levisecta being among Washington's most endangered species. Consider yourself very lucky if you find this plant, and take special precautions to protect it and its habitat.

• Rarity: Endemic
• Flowering Time: Late Spring
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 10--14 inches
• Habitat: Meadow
• Found In: Olympic Np
• Native: Yes