Castilleja kraliana J.R. Allison

Cahaba Paintbrush; Cahaba Indian Paintbrush

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Cahaba Paintbrush is a native endemic annual or biennial herb in the Broomrape family (Orobanchaceae). It is only known to occur in Bibb County Alabama. Cahaba Paintbrush grows on dolomite limestone outcrops. It is an annual with a fibrous root system. The stems are solitary or few from a basal rosette of leaves. The stems may be branched from mid-stem. The stems erect, green in color, and pubescent with spreading hairs and short stalked glands. Basal leaves are oblanceolate in outline, unlobed, often purplish in color, and with flat margins. The cauline leaves are linear to linear-lanceolate in outline with 3-5 linear to lanceolate lobes. Each flower is subtended by a large bract that is green towards the base and bright lemon yellow towards the apex. Each flower has 4 sepals that form a tube that is pale green or white towards the base and yellow towards the tip. The corolla has 5 yellow-green petals forming a tube. The fruit is a capsule with many small seed. Cahaba Paintbrush is a root-hemiparasite. When the seed germinates it must form a connection through the roots of a host plant (usually a grass) in order to continue development. Cahaba Paintbrush is listed as an S2 species in Alabama (typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state) and globally as a G2 species (imperiled globally because of rarity or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range).—A. Diamond.

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Native Endemic S2 (State Rank) G2 (Global Rank)

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