Red >
Desert Indian Paintbrush
Castilleja augustifolia
(formerly called Castilleja chromosa)
Looks like a paintbrush made of ragged leaves that has been dipped in red-orange paint.
4-16" tall with short, narrow and hairy leaves extending from the base and sometmes up stalk.
Commonly found on dry and rocky slopes of the Mojave Desert in sagebrush and shadscale scrub, joshua tree and pinyon-juniper woodland to 8000'.
Blooms from April to August.
Figwort Family (Scrophulariaceae)
Desert Habitat:
References:
A Flower Watcher's Guide - Milt Stark
Desert Wildflowers - Philip A. Munz
Mojave Desert Wildflowers - Pam MacKay
The Jepson Desert Manual
Indian paintbrush photo taken at Joshua Tree National Park