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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE FIGWORT FAMILY | |||||||||
| The figwort family is very common in Saskatchewan. The leaves are usually opposite, though they may be alternate, whorled, or all basal. The leaf margin may be entire to pinnately or palmately lobed. The flowers are irregular and are commonly 2-lipped. The upper lip usually has two lobes and the lower lip three lobes. Each flower has two or four stamens. If four stamens are present, they are in two groups of two and are usually attached to the petals. The sepals and the petals are commonly fused together. In some species, large, brightly-coloured bracts hide the flowers. The fruit is a many-seeded capsule. | |||||||||
| SCARLET INDIAN PAINTBRUSH | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Castilleja coccinea | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Scarlet Indian paintbrush is an annual plant that grows up to 50 cm tall from a weak root system. The basal leaves are lance-shaped to egg-shaped and have smooth margins. The stem leaves are linear to lance-shaped and have three to five linear divisions. The flowers are usually hidden by the larger, crimson-tipped bracts. The bracts may be red, orange, yellow or white in some plants. The fruit is a capsule. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Scarlet Indian paintbrush grows in moist meadows and ditches. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This plant is found in southeastern Saskatchewan in the Aspen Parkland ecoregion. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Scarlet Indian paintbrush is endangered because it is extremely rare and regionally restricted in Saskatchewan. Possible threats have been identified for this species. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY SCARLET INDIAN PAINTBRUSH | |||||||||
| * Are the stems slender and hairy? * Are the bracts large and covering the flowers? * Are the leaves linear with three to five linear divisions? * Did you find it in southeastern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found scarlet Indian paintbrush! | |||||||||
