Castilleja hyperborea : Northern IndianPaintbrush

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)

Genera: Castilleja (Indian Paintbrush) (Named for Don Domingo Castellejo, an 18th century Spanish botanist)

Species: hyperborea (Lat. Gk. hyper = above + boreas = north; referring to the norther range of this species)

Synonym(s): C. villosissima

English Name(s):

Northern IndianPaintbrush,

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• Plant Herbaceous (Not woody) tufted.
• From a short weak branching taproot.
• Stems 2-several, 8-16cm high, erect-ascending, simple (unbranched), hirsute (spreading hairs) to villous (long hairs) higher up.

Leaves:

• Lance-linear and acuminate (tappering) in shape.
• With one or two pairs of slender wide spreading side lobes on middle to upper leaves.

Reproductive Parts:

• Infloerescence (flower cluster) elongating, usually one third the lenght of the stem.
• Flowers perfect (bisexual), and irregular in symetry.
• Bracts large, yellowish-green, usually lobed.
• Calyx (sepals) 10-20mm long, with rounded lobes.
• Corolla (petals) 10-22mm long, upper lip green 5-8mm long, acute, lower lip 3-5mm long, with yellowish lobes.
• Stamens (male parts) 4, in 2 pairs, anther (top part) sacs unequal.

Seed:

• Fruit a capsule.
• Seed capsules 2-locular (chambered), spliting open lengthwise between the partitions, 9-13mm long.
• Seeds numerous with a coat of large, netted, translucent cells.

Not to Be Confused With:

• Castilleja yukonis (Yukon Indian Paintbursh) and Castilleja caudata (Pale Indian Paintbrush) which can be distinguished by thier non-lobed leaves.

Physiology:

• Partially parasitic on roots of other plants. Particularily grass like plants.
• Are capable of carying out thier full life cycle with out parasitizing other plants. However by being parasitic on its nieghbours gives it a strategic advantage.
• This genus is puzzling to the taxonomists, due to the variability of charactaristic features, and due to the presence of hybrids in areas where species meet.

Life Cycle:

• Perennial

Seasonal Cycle:

• plants deciduous (dieing back).
• Blooming in mid-July.

Animal Uses:

• Plants in this genus are well suited to the needs of Hummingbirds. Some researchers think Castilleja (Indian Paintbrush) and Hummingbirds may have evolved together. Though there are few to no hummingbirds in Central Yukon.

Habitat:

• Tundra turf and stony slopes.

Modern:

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Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

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Traditional Other:

Folklore:

• Nevada Natives believed that the rattlesnake distilled poison from these flowers because they grew near rocks where the snakes lived.
• Tea made from these plants was taken as a love medicine and flower was put into love charms.

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