Mendocino Coast Indian paintbrush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mendocino Coast Indian paintbrush |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Castilleja
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| Species: |
mendocinensis
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Castilleja mendocinensis is a type of wild flower often called the Mendocino Coast Indian Paintbrush. It gets its name from its bright, paintbrush-like flowers. This plant is special because it only grows in a small area along the coast of California.
Mendocino Coast Indian Paintbrush
Where It Grows
This unique plant lives mainly along the coastline of Mendocino County, California. You can find it growing in areas with coastal sage scrub, which is a type of plant community found near the ocean. It has also been seen in a few spots in Humboldt County, California. This makes it a very special plant to this specific part of the world.
What It Looks Like
The Mendocino Coast Indian Paintbrush is a plant that grows back year after year. It is called a perennial herb. It has many branches and can spread out, growing up to about 60 centimeters (about 2 feet) long. The plant is covered in tiny, stiff hairs, which makes it feel rough. These hairs give it a gray-green color. Its leaves are thick and rounded or oval. They are usually no longer than about 2 centimeters (less than an inch).
The plant's flowers grow in layers. These layers are made of special leaves called bracts. The bracts are green at the bottom and turn bright orange-red or red at the tips. Hidden among these colorful bracts are the actual flowers. These flowers are hairy and shaped like tubes. They are usually greenish or yellowish, sometimes with a hint of red.
After the flowers bloom, the plant produces a fruit. This fruit is a small case, called a capsule, that can be up to 2 centimeters long. It holds the plant's seeds.
