Monterey Indian Paintbrush

Description

This wildflower is a perennial herb growing up to about 60 centimeters tall and spreading into a shrublike form as it ages over the years. It is bristly and hairy with green, gray-green, purple or purple-tinted herbage. The fleshy leaves are rounded or oval and up to 2 centimeters long. The inflorescence is made up of layers of greenish bracts tipped with dull to very bright shades of red, orange, or yellow. Between the bracts appear the flowers, which are often similar in coloration. The fruit is a capsule up to 2 centimeters long.