Castilleja puberula
Author: Rydb.


Downy indian-paintbrush


Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)

Close up of Castilleja puberula by Susan Spackman Panjabi
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Ranks and Status

Global rank: G2G3
State rank: S2S3
Federal protection status: None
State protection status: None

[+] Description and Phenology

Castilleja puberula by Helen Smithwick.
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General description: Perennial plants about 8-15 cm. tall. Inflorescence is yellowish and finely puberulent to short-tomentose. Bracts sometimes have reddish tips. Leaves are 2-3 cm. long, linear, entire or with lateral lobes, and finely puberulent (Harrington 1954, Ackerfield 2015).

Look Alikes: Other yellow, alpine Castilleja are not as downy hairy.

Phenology: Flowers July-August (Ackerfield 2012; Colorado Natural Heritage Program 2012).

[+] Herbarium Photos

Images of Castilleja puberula housed at the Colorado State University Herbarium.

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[+] Habitat

Habitat of Castilleja puberula by Susan Spackman Panjabi
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Rocky tundra, high peaks of the Continental Divide (Weber and Wittmann 2012). Associated species include Picea engelmannii (krummholz), Salix brachycarpa, Dryas octopetala, Bistorta bistortoides, Castilleja occidentalis, Erigeron pinnatasectus, Trifolium dasyphyllum, Eremogone fendleri, and others.

Elevation Range: 10,725 - 13,018 feet (3,269 - 3,968 meters)

[+] Distribution

Distribution of Castilleja puberula in Colorado according to mapped land ownership/management boundaries (CNHP 2012, COMaP v9 ).
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Distribution of Castilleja puberula in Colorado
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Colorado endemic: Yes
Global range: Castilleja puberula is found on high peaks of the Continental Divide; known from Archuleta, Boulder, Clear Creek, Conejos, Grand, Larimer, and Park counties.
 

[+] Threats and Management Issues

Summary results of an analysis of the status of Castilleja puberula based on several ranking factors. This species was concluded to be “Effectively Conserved”. From Rondeau et al. 2011.
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Its alpine habitat is somewhat protected and inaccessible, so it likely has few serious threats, except from off-road-vehicle use. One population is bissected by an old mining road that receives heavy off-road-vehicle use, which has increased erosion. 

[+] References

    • Ackerfield, J. 2015. Flora of Colorado. Brit Press, Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, TX. 818 pp.
    • Colorado Natural Heritage Program. 2008. The Fifth Annual Colorado Rare Plant Symposium: G2 Plants of Colorado. Symposium Minutes. Available on-line http://www.cnhp.colostate.edu/teams/botany.asp#symposia.
    • Colorado Natural Heritage Program. 2012. Biodiversity Tracking and Conservation System. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
    • Harrington, H.D. 1954. Manual of the plants of Colorado. Sage Press, Chicago. 666 pp.
    • Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
    • Lavender, A.E., M.M. Fink, S.E. Linn, D.M. Theobald. 2011. Colorado Ownership, Management, and Protection v9 Database. Colorado Natural Heritage Program and Geospatial Centroid, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. (30 September).
    • Neely, B., S. Panjabi, E. Lane, P. Lewis, C. Dawson, A. Kratz, B. Kurzel, T. Hogan, J. Handwerk, S. Krishnan, J. Neale, and N. Ripley. 2009. Colorado Rare Plant Conservation Strategy, Developed by the Colorado Rare Plant conservation Initiative. The Nature Conservancy, Boulder, Colorado, 117 pp.
    • USDA, NRCS. 2013. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
    • Weber, W. A. and R. C. Wittmann. 2012. Colorado Flora, Eastern Slope, A Field Guide to the Vascular Plants, Fourth Edition. Boulder, Colorado. 555 pp.
    • Weber, W. A. and R. C. Wittmann. 2012. Colorado Flora, Western Slope, A Field Guide to the Vascular Plants, Fourth Edition. Boulder, Colorado. 532 pp.

Last Updated

2012-10-03