Scrohulariaceae Castilleja coccinea (L.)

Identification:

Natural History



Annual herb, sometimes biennial (Fernald)
Sexual Reproduction
Carbon Dioxide Fixation by C3 Pathway
Pubescent
Inflourescence: Spike
Blooms April through July or August depending on Latitude Bloom Scedule

Located world-wide (see table below)
Population Dynamics: not found but flower is found to be of "occational" commoness
Endangered Species: Threatened or endangered in many states; extinct in Maine:

last seen in 1938 Maine's Endangered Species List


Seed, Root and Stem Info.


Roots: Primary
Roots: Parasitic
Seeds: Small, brown
Stem erect
Stem is a little bit hairy
Grows 8-24 inches in height, but can reach as tall as three feet
Usually unbranced stem

Leaf Info.


Leaf Arrangment: Alternate and Basal
Leaf Type: Simple
Leaf Margin: Entire and usually 3-Lobed
Leaf Shape: Oblong and Obovate
Leaves on stem are sessile and often shed by the time of flowering

Flower, Fruit and Bract Info.


Flower Structure: Complete and Irregular
Flower Placement: Hypogynous
Red flower color native to North America, but can be found in a pale yellow occationally
Fruit: Capsule belongs to Figwort Family
Bracts on plant much more conspicuous that flowers
Bract Color: Yellow, Green
Red flower color native to North America, but can be found in a pale yellow occationally
Bracts usually 3-lobed

Environmental Needs


Medium to high amounts of water required
Needs nutrient rich soil
Prominant along roadsides and in fields with full sunlight
Common wet meadows, wetlands, fields, bogs, and woods
Frequently found in Mountain Zones




Professor Fiona Dudley's Input


In the Snapdragon Family (Scrophulariaceae)
One of at least 200 native species in the U.S. mostly of central and western distribution
Appears to be the only one in the Southeast
Variously described as annual or biennial
Form consists of basal rosette of elliptic untoothed leaves
Flowering portion consists of usually a single stalk rising from the base, with deeply cleft stem leaves
"Flower" at the crown of the stalk consists of brightly colored bracts, not actually the flowers
Flowers are two-lipped yellow tubes that grow surrounded by the brightly colored bracts

(tipped with red/orange in this species)
Said to be parasitic on grasses, though my sources for that info are sketchy
Knows from personal experience that have only seen this plant growing along roadsides in sunny spots- usually dirt tracks,

old forestry service roads, Probably brought in by cars or other travelers.
This genus apears to be primarily of the central plains or prairie lands, as well as southwest and California/Washington/Oregon

mountain ranges.

For information on Family Scrophulariaceae

A few genearal characteristics Complements of NC D.O.T.

Plant before flowering Photographer: Ken Robertson

Plant right after flowering Photographer: Ken Robertson

Bract variation in color Photographer: Ken Robertson

C. Coccinea in Tennessee in its natural habitat Photographer: Doug Malone: CoffeeCounty, TN.

Seeds Photographer: Ken Robertson

Plant anatomy Photographer: Ken Robertson

Bract and flower anatomy Photographer: Ken Robertson

Stein's Virtual Herbarium Photographer: K. Stein

Grand Teton National Park Photographer: Dan Skean, 1994






Photograph courtesy of Univ. of Georgia Herbarium.
Copyright Dept. of Botany, Univ. of Georgia, Athens. All rights reserved.

Table of Documented Locations

	Area	Status	References	maps
Canada	Southern Manitoba	Widespread	Manitoba
Canada	Ontario	Widespread	Pennell, 1935
New Hampshire	Rockingham Co.	Yes	Pennell, 1935
New England	MA, RI, CN, NY,NJ,PA, DE	Widespread	Pennell, 1935; States
Virginia	Augusta, Fairfax, Bath, Campbell, Staunton, Flotd, Giles, Highland, Russel (Co's)	Widespread	Pennell, 1935
West Virginia	Mercer, Monogolia, Monroe, Pendalton, Pocahontas, Preston, Randolf (Co's)	Widespread	Pennell, 1935
North Carolina	Alamance, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Forsyth, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Mitchell, Orange, Polk, Rpwan, Stanly, Transylvania, Yancey (Co's)	Widespread	Pennell, 1935
South Carolina	Williamsburg	Yes	Pennell, 1935
North Georgia	Lumpkin County	Yes	Pennell, 1935
Tennessee	Central and East Areas	Yes	TN	DOT
Central and Northern U.S.	Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnisota, Iowa, Missouri	Widespread	Pennell, 1935
Illinois	Calhoun, Coles, Fayette, Carroll, Cook, Fulton, Cass, Dekalb, Hancock, Champaign, Dupagw, Henderson, Christian, Effingham, Henry, Iraquis, Knox, Macoupin, St. Clair, Woodford, Jersey, Lake, Marion, Vernillion, Jo Daviess, Lasalle, Menard, Webash, Kane, McDonough, Ogle, Will, Kankakee, McHebry, Peoria, Winnebago (Co's)	Widespread	Pennell, 1935; click this then link to Castilleja coccinea	Counties
Central U.S.	Texas and Oklahoma	Marginal	Central

Photograph courtesy of Univ. of Georgia Herbarium.
Copyright Dept. of Botany, Univ. of Georgia, Athens. All rights reserved.

Reference Guide:

Pennell, F. 1935. The Scrophulariaceae of Eastern Temperate North America. Wickersham Printing Company. 535-540.

Godfrey, R. and Wooten, J. 1981. Aquatic Wetland Plants of Sotheatern United Staes. University of Georgia Press. 670.

Fernald, M. L. 1950. Gray's Manual of Botany. Copywrite by The President and Fellows of Harvard College. 1293.

Browm and Brown. 1984. Herbaceous Plants of Maryland. Copywrite: Port City Press Inc. by Brown and Brown. 878.

Thank you to Doug Malone, Dan Skean, and Ken Robertson for their beautiful photos.

http://www.tcru.ttu.edu/txgap/vegclass/herbaceous/section2.htm

http://www.doh.dot.state.nc.us/operations/dp_chief_eng/roadside/wildflowerbook/17 b.html

http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/delaware/ilpin/695.gif

http://www.bio.utk.edu/botany/herbarium/vascular/atlas/dicots/scrophulariaceae/castilleja-coccinea.html

http://www.colby.edu/info.tech/BI211/Checklist.NE.Plants/Scrophulariaceae.html

http://www.doh.dot.state.nc.us/operations/dp_chief_eng/roadside/wildflowerbook/17 b.html

http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/delaware/ilpin/C.htm

http://www.state.me.us/doc/nrimc/mnap/species/lostspec.htm

http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/bloom.html

http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/newgate/cronang.htm: Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M. J. (1992 onwards). ŒThe Families of Flowering Plants: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval.¹ Version: 22nd April 1999.

Univ. of Georgia Herbarium.

Professor Fiona Dudley