Castilleja raupii

Herbs, perennial, (2.5–)3–5(–6) dm; from a woody caudex; with a taproot. Stems few to many, erect to ascending, unbranched or often branched distally, glabrous proximally or hairy, hairs sparse, retrorse, short, ± stiff proximally, distally ± dense, spreading, longer, soft, eglandular throughout. Leaves purple to green, linear to lanceolate-linear, 2–8(–13) cm, not fleshy, margins plane to slightly wavy, flat or slightly involute, 0-lobed, sometimes 3-lobed distally, immediately below inflorescence, apex narrowly acuminate to acute; lobes ascending, linear, apex acute. Inflorescences 2.5–12 × 1.5–3.5 cm; bracts lavender, pink-purple, or reddish purple throughout, sometimes distally white, cream, or pale pink, lanceolate, oblong, broadly elliptic, or ovate, 0–5(–7)-lobed; lobes spreading to ascending, linear to narrowly lanceolate, short, arising above mid length, central lobe apex acute to obtuse, lateral ones acute. Calyces colored as bracts, 13–20(–25) mm; abaxial and adaxial clefts 6–11 mm, 50–60% of calyx length, deeper than laterals, lateral 0.5–3.5(–7) mm, ca. 25–30% of calyx length; lobes lanceolate-linear, apex narrowly acute or acuminate. Corollas straight or slightly curved, 15–20(–26) mm; tube 10–13 mm; beak and abaxial lip ± exserted; beak adaxially green, 4–6.5 mm; abaxial lip purple, magenta, or red, slightly inflated, pouches 3, 2–5 mm, 75–80% as long as beak; teeth erect, magenta, pink, or red, 1–1.5 mm. 2n = 72.

Phenology: Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat: Damp openings, thickets, stream banks, hummocks in peatlands, meadows, tundra, sandy or gravelly, calcareous ridges and roadsides.
Elevation: 0–2400 m.

Distribution

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Alta., B.C., Man., N.W.T., Nunavut, Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon, Alaska.

Discussion

Castilleja raupii is a member of the difficult C. pallida species complex. Castilleja raupii is widespread from southern Alaska to northern Alberta, northwards to the shore of the Arctic Sea, and east to the eastern shore of Hudson Bay. Reports from northeastern Russia are mostly referable to the similar Asian species, C. rubra (Drobow) Rebristaya. Castilleja raupii is sometimes confused with the partially sympatric C. elegans, but C. raupii is a taller plant with often somewhat branched, ascending-erect stems and is often found on more mesic substrates than C. elegans. The inflorescences of C. raupii are usually pink to pink-purple, but more variably colored populations are reported from the delta region of the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories of Canada.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.