Hummingbirds have long bills that allow them to reach the nectar rewards at the end of long, tubular flowers. However, like most red flowers, this species is especially adapted for pollination by hummingbirds.
This is somewhat surprising since the color red is difficult for insects to see. A variety of insects visit paintbrush flowers, especially bees. Despite being obligate parasites for part of their lives, these plants do rely on pollinators for reproduction. These plants are hemiparasites, meaning that although these plants are green and can photosynthesize, they also have the ability to sequester nutrients from other organisms, in this case, from perennial grasses. lutescens), as well as a separate closely related species that also has yellow bracts ( Castilleja sessiliflora). Also, there is a form of this species that has yellow bracts ( Castilleja coccinea f.
The actual flower petals are rather inconspicuous, although the tip of the sepals are tinged with red as well. The showy red structures are technically bracts, a type of modified leaf, and not petals. The genus name “ Castilleja” is named after Spanish botanist Domingo Castillejo, and “ coccinea” means “red,” referring to the red bracts that surround the flowers. This plant is also called painted cup for the showy cup-like bracts. This species was formerly placed in the Figwort family (Scrophullariaceae), which was a hodgepodge of genera that didn’t fit well in other families. Indian paintbrush is an attractive member of the parasitic Broomrape family (Orobancaceae).
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