Castilleja applegatei subsp. disticha
Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Applegate's paintbrush is a California native perennial found in the central Sierra Nevada Mountains in open conifer forest at elevations of 2,000 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces small flowers with a distinctive long beak, approximately 25 to 35 millimeters in length, with a calyx divided into sharp lanceolate lobes. Growing with erect stems 30 to 80 centimeters tall, it develops a robust and upright form characteristic of paintbrush species. Its leaves are unique, typically without side lobes, contributing to its distinctive appearance in mountain forest clearings. The flower's elaborate structure, with its elongated beak measuring 14 to 18 millimeters, sets this subspecies apart from other paintbrush varieties.
Habitat: Open conifer forest
Bloom period: Jun-Aug
Elevation: 2000-3000 m
Bioregions: c&s SNH.
California counties: Fresno, Tulare, Mariposa, Madera, Tuolumne, Plumas, Kern, El Dorado, Placer, Sierra, Nevada, Lassen, Mono, Inyo, Ventura
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.