BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary
Castilleja minor var. exilis
annual paintbrush
| Scientific Name: | Castilleja minor var. exilis (A. Nelson) J.M. Egger | ||||||||||
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| Scientific Name Synonyms: |
Castilleja exilis
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| English Name: | annual paintbrush | ||||||||||
| Classification / Taxonomy | |||||||||||
| Scientific Name - Concept Reference: | Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C. | ||||||||||
| Classification Level: | Variety | ||||||||||
| Taxonomy Comments: | Castilleja minor var. exilis (A.Nelson) J.M.Egger is a synonym of Castilleja exilis A.Nelson. | ||||||||||
| Species Group: | Vascular Plant | ||||||||||
| Species Code: | CASTMIO3 | ||||||||||
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| Conservation Status / Legal Designation | |||||||||||
| Global Status: | G5T5 (Jul 1995) | ||||||||||
| Provincial Status: | S2 (Apr 2015) | ||||||||||
| BC List: | Red | ||||||||||
| Provincial FRPA list: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Wildlife Act: | |||||||||||
| COSEWIC Status: | |||||||||||
| SARA Schedule: | |||||||||||
| General Status Canada: | |||||||||||
| Ecology & Life History | |||||||||||
| General Description: | Annual Indian Paintbrush is an annual with erect, unbranched stems that are 3-8 dm high. The alternate, narrowly lance-shaped leaves, 3-8 cm long, have entire margins. Foliage is glandular-hairy. The stalkless flowers arise from the axils of the reduced upper leaves (bracts) in a spike-like inflorescence at the top of the stem. The upper bracts have red tips. The yellowish, tubular corolla, 15-25 mm long, tapers to a galea above that surpasses the 3 small lobes below. The tubular calyx, 15-20 mm long, almost completely contains the corolla and is cleft into 4 pointed lobes. The fruit is a capsule with many tiny seeds. | ||||||||||
| Technical Description: | |||||||||||
| Diagnostic Characteristics: | This is our only annual CASTILLEJA. It can be distinguished from annual ORTHOCARPUS and CORDYLANTHUS by the galea that is appreciably longer than the lower corolla lip. | ||||||||||
| Similar Species: | |||||||||||
| Habitats: (Type / Subtype / Dependence) |
Grassland/Shrub / Meadow / Facultative - frequent use
Other Unique Habitats / Alkali Ponds/Salt Flats / Obligate Other Unique Habitats / Vernal Pools/Seasonal Seeps / Facultative - occasional use |
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| Provincial Phenology: (1st half of month/ 2nd half of month) |
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| Elevation (m) (min / max): | Provincial: | ||||||||||
| Known Pests: | |||||||||||
| Pollen Vector: | |||||||||||
| Pollinator: | |||||||||||
| Dispersal: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Inventory | |||||||||||
| Inventory Priority: | |||||||||||
| Ownership of occurrences (Known locations): | |||||||||||
| Inventory Need: | |||||||||||
| Economic Attributes | |||||||||||
| Distribution | |||||||||||
| Endemic: | N | ||||||||||
| Disjunct, more common elsewhere: | |||||||||||
| Peripheral, major distribution elsewhere: | |||||||||||
| Authors / Contributors | |||||||||||
| Global Information Author: | JM | ||||||||||
| Last Updated: | Oct 11, 1994 | ||||||||||
| Provincial Information Author: | |||||||||||
| Last Updated: | |||||||||||
| Last Literature Search: | |||||||||||
| References and Related Literature | |||||||||||
Douglas, G.W., D. Meidinger, and J. Penny. 2002. Rare Native Vascular Plants of British Columbia, 2nd ed. B.C. Conserv. Data Centre, Terrestrial Inf. Branch, Victoria. 358pp. |
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Douglas, G.W., D. Meidinger, and J. Pojar, eds. 2000. Illustrated Flora of British Columbia, Vol. 5, Dicotyledons (Salicaceae through Zygophyllaceae) and Pteridophytes. B.C. Minist. Environ., Lands and Parks, and B.C. Minist. For., Victoria. 389pp. |
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Lea, T. 2001. Historical ecosystem mapping for the south Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys of British Columbia. Terrestrial Information Br., BC Minist. Sustainable Resource Management. |
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 1994. Species Summary: Castilleja minor var. exilis. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 6, 2026).