Johnny-nip facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Johnny-nip |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Castilleja
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| Species: |
ambigua
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| Synonyms | |
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Orthocarpus castillejoides |
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Castilleja ambigua is a type of wild flower often called Johnny-nip. It belongs to a group of plants known as Indian paintbrushes. This plant grows naturally in western North America. You can find it from British Columbia in Canada all the way down to California in the United States. It especially likes to grow near the coast in places like salt marshes and scrublands.
What it Looks Like
This plant is an annual herb. This means it lives for only one growing season. It can grow up to about 30 centimeters (about 12 inches) tall. The leaves are usually between 1 and 5 centimeters long. They might be smooth or have small lobes.
The flowers grow in a cluster called an inflorescence. This cluster can be up to 12 centimeters long. It is packed with special leaf-like parts called bracts. These bracts have tips that are white to light purple and look ridged. The actual flowers grow between these bracts. They are usually yellow to light purple or rose in color. After the flowers, the plant produces a fruit. This fruit is a capsule, which is like a small seed pod, about a centimeter long.
Different Types (Subspecies)
There are three main types, or subspecies, of Castilleja ambigua. Two of these types are endemic to California. This means they only grow naturally in California and nowhere else in the world.
One special subspecies is called the Humboldt Bay owl's clover. Its scientific name is Castilleja ambigua ssp. humboldtiensis. This particular plant is considered a threatened species in Northern California. This means there are concerns about its survival in the wild.
See also
In Spanish: Castilleja ambigua para niños
