Scrophulariaceae
Figwort Family
Castilleja coccinea (L.) Sprengel
- Stem: perennial; 1’ to 2’ tall; unbranched; with stiff spreading hairs.
- Leaves: alternate; linear, 2” by 1” with three narrow, linear, spreading lobes at the tips; sessile; long-hairy above and below.
- Inflorescence: raceme; crowded flowers, each with a three-lobed, red (sometimes yellow) bract below each flower.
- Flowers: calyx red, 5/8” long, tubular, two-lipped, hairy; the corolla two-lipped, extending beyond the calyx; flowering from mid-May to early June.
- Fruits: capsules, two-lipped, 5/16” long; developing within the calyx; the colored bracts dropping in fruit; fruiting begins in late May.
- Habitat: infrequent on moist prairies; often occurring at the woodland-prairie border.
- Notes: Castilleja coccinea is a root parasite on other plants. The yellow color phase is often found on prairies in north-central Iowa.
- Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Vascular Plants of Iowa
