Scarlet indian paintbrush

Description

Castilleja coccinea,commonly known as Scarlet Indian paintbrush or Scarlet painted-cup,is a flowering plant in the Orobanchaceae family.It is usually found in moist meadows,prairies,and barrens from Maine to Minnesota,and south to Florida and Louisiana.It is an upright,hairy,1-to-7-decimeter (3.9 to 27.6 in) tall hemiparasitic plant.The stem is usually unbranched and rises from a basal rosette. The basal leaves are oblong and mostly entire,while the alternate stem leaves are deeply and irregularly lobed.The common names for this plant reflect the showy red calyx,inside of which is the actual greenish-yellow corolla ("flower").C.coccinea can be distinguished from other Castilleja of the southeastern US because it has a 2-to-3.5-millimeter long,thin yellowish or orangish lip on the corolla,the inflorescence bracts are deeply lobed,and the basal rosettes of leaves are usually well-developed