The Broomrape family welcomes a new member

Castilleja sulphurea 6.8.20.jpg

Castilleja sulphurea, June 8, 2020

Common & scientific name
Sulfur indian paintbrush, Castilleja sulphurea

Family
Broomrape, Orobanchaceae

Location
Between Lincoln Creek turnoff & Lost Man TH, 10,100’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact

I always had a hard time understanding how the paintbrushes fit within the Snapdragon (Scrophularaceae) family, along with the penstemons and monkey flowers and louseworts.  Now I know they don’t!  Some time in the last few years when I wasn’t paying attention, they got moved to the Broomrape (Orobanchaceae) family, not because of their physical characteristics, but because of their genetics and the fact that they are parasitic on other plants, like the broomrapes.