A N F Keys
1 Plants lacking chlorophyll and fully parasitic on roots of host perennials (holoparasites), axes and leaflike structures whitish to yellowish, orangey brown, or dark purple; calyx ± radially 5-lobed; upper lip of corolla distinctly 2-lobed, with stigma and anthers included .. Orobanche
1' Plants with green foliage, being parasitic on roots of host perennials during one phase of growth (hemiparasites); calyx mostly bilaterally symmetric, often 2-lipped but sometimes sheathlike, if 5-lobed then upper lobes slightly shorter and lateral lobes paired; upper lip of corolla ± entire and often hoodlike and enclosing stamens (galea)
2 Plants with basal rosettes of petiolate, coarsely dissected leaves, blades 50−220(−280) × 12−55 mm with many lobes cut and toothed on margins; leafy racemes condensed with fuchsia to dark rose flowers; galea conspicuously rounded approaching tip and externally glabrous; anthers with equal sacs; style bent to project at right angles from corolla .. Pedicularis densiflora [pics]
2' Plants lacking basal rosettes, with sessile, ± narrow or pinnately several-lobed cauline leaves, blades or lobes mostly < 90 × 12 mm with entire margins; galea, if rounded, only at tip, externally pubescent on some parts; anthers with unequal sacs
3 Corolla resembling a bird's beak, multi-colored but mostly yellowish to white, surrounded by mostly green bractlets and bracts (sometimes tipped purple)
4 Plants 20−40 cm tall, pilose and glandular-hairy; blades lanceolate and never lobed, (5−)7−25 × 1.5−7 mm; leafy spike with bractlets and calyx mostly boat-shaped; growing in Point Mugu salt marsh .. Chloropyron maritimum subsp. maritimum
4' Plants 20−175 cm tall, short-hairy and sparsely hirsute aging hispid; blades unlobed to pinnately 3-lobed, 10−47 mm long, with slender, linear lobes; headlike cyme with bractlets and calyx sheathlike; growing during summer in dry scrubland .. Cordylanthus rigidus subsp. setigerus [pics]
3' Corolla elongate and obviously 2-lipped, amidst of brightly colored calyx, bractlets, and bracts, e.g., vivid red, orange-red, light yellow, or purplish pink (white) .. Castilleja
Castilleja Mutis
INDIAN PAINTBRUSH
1 Blades mostly 1−2-pinnately dissected with slender, linear lobes, pilose to villous without glandular hairs; inflorescence club-shaped overall appearing purplish pink to strong reddish purple and white; lower lip of corolla conspicuously 3-pouched and upper lip hooded and beaklike .. Castilleja exserta subsp. exserta [pics]
1' Blades unlobed to 1-pinnately dissected with broad lobes, hairs various but if villous also densely glandular-hairy; inflorescence ± cylindric overall appearing red to red-orange (yellow); lower lip of corolla not inflated and upper lip minutely 3-toothed
2 Annuals, 1-stemmed at base; blades densely glandular-hairy and lower surface scabrous from multicellular hairs; racemes with pedicels initially 2−3 mm long increasing in fruit; bractlet subtending flower unlobed; calyx tube ca. 6 mm long and saclike at base .. Castilleja minor subsp. spiralis [pics]
2' Perennial herbs, several−many-stemmed at base; blades not scabrous; spikes with pedicels always < 1 mm long; bractlet subtending flower lobed; calyx tube cylindric and 7−12.5 mm long
3 Blades woolly with branched hairs (dendritic) and lacking glandular hairs; bractlet subtending flower 15−20 mm long and calyx 11.5−16 mm long, both hairy like leaves .. Castilleja foliolosa [pics]
3' Blades villous and densely glandular-hairy; bractlet enveloping flower 21−26 mm long and calyx 15−20 mm long, both hairy like leaves .. Castilleja affinis subsp. affinis [pics]
NB. Castilleja applegatei Fernald subsp. martinii (Abrams) T. I. Chuang & Heckard, which is similar to C. affinis, may occur in range, but definitive specimens have not yet been observed.
1 Plants glandular-hairy; each flower terminal on long pedicel >> corolla, lacking bracteoles at base of calyx; corolla lobes ± equal and spreading
2 Flowers several per shoot; calyx lobes ≤ calyx tube; corolla to 34 mm long, light yellow with rose reddish to purplish or dark yellow veins but possibly purplish .. Orobanche fasciculata [pics]
2' Flowers 1 per shoot; calyx lobes > calyx tube; corolla < 23 mm long, mostly violet but lower portion often yellow; parasite mostly on Ribes .. Orobanche uniflora [pics]
1' Plants glandular-hairy or not; flowers in dense raceme or racemelike panicle, pedicel << corolla, with 2 bracteoles at base of calyx; corolla lobes somewhat bilateral
3 Plants with only nonglandular hairs, somewhat scabrous; base of plant (subterranean) tuberlike, shoot tapered from enlarged base; shoots and flowers purple; inflorescence branched; parasite mostly on chamise (Adenostoma) .. Orobanche bulbosa [pics]
3' Plants densely glandular-hairy, not scabrous; base of plant (subterranean) not tuberlike or greatly enlarged; shoots pale yellow or reddish tinged (reddish) on aerial portion or aging brownish; inflorescence a raceme
4 Corolla pale to light yellowish but becoming reddish orange to purplish red along veins or ± uniformly reddish orange to purplish red on inside except pale yellow on margins; parasite mostly on Asteraceae, (e.g., Corethrogyne) .. Orobanche parishii [pics]
4' Corolla whitish to pale rose with reddish rose to purplish veins; parasite mostly on elderberry (Sambucus) .. Orobanche vallicola [pics]
The text of the above keys used with permission from
A Naturalist's Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills, California
© Copyright
Barry A. Prigge and Arthur C. Gibson
2013