Lemmon's Indian paintbrush facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lemmon's Indian paintbrush
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Genus:	Castilleja
Species:	C. lemmonii
Binomial name
Castilleja lemmonii A.Gray
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Synonyms
Castilleja culbertsonii Castilleja lassenensis

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Castilleja lemmonii is a type of wild flower often called Lemmon's Indian paintbrush or meadow paintbrush. It gets its name "Indian paintbrush" because its colorful parts look a bit like a painter's brush dipped in bright colors. This plant is a member of the Castilleja genus, which includes many beautiful wildflowers found across North America.

About Lemmon's Indian Paintbrush

Lemmon's Indian paintbrush is a special plant that grows in the western United States. It was first described in 1878 by a famous botanist named Asa Gray. This plant is known for its pretty purple or pink colors.

Where It Grows

This plant loves to grow in high places. You can find it in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. It also grows in the southern Cascade Range, which stretches into California. Sometimes, you can even spot it in western Nevada. It prefers wet areas, especially moist meadows where the soil stays damp.

Castilleja lemmonii, a group of deep purple-pink plants growing together in a meadow.

What It Looks Like

Lemmon's Indian paintbrush is a small plant. It usually grows to be about 10 to 20 centimeters tall. That's about the length of a pencil! The plant is covered in tiny, sticky hairs. These are called glandular hairs.

Its leaves are narrow and long, like a small spear. They are usually 2 to 4 centimeters in length.

Closeup of a Lemmon's Indian paintbrush flower. You can see the pink parts and small yellow flowers.

The most interesting part is its flower head. This part is called an inflorescence. It has many green leaf-like parts called bracts. The tips of these bracts are often bright purple or pink. Hidden among these colorful bracts are the actual small, yellowish flowers. These flowers often have tiny yellow tips that look like stamens.