Castilleja levisecta

Photographer: Rod Gilbert

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae

Subkingdom (unranked): Tracheobionta

Superdivision (unranked): Spermatophyta

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Subclass (unranked): Asteridae

Order: Scrophulariales

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Genus: Castilleja Mutis ex L. f.

Species: levisecta Greenm.

Description

General: Perennial, the stems several, unbranched, decumbent, 1-5 dm. tall, softly sticky-villous. Leaves: Leaves viscid-villous, the lower ones entire, linear-lanceolate, the upper ones oblong-ovate to oblong-obovate, with1-3 pairs of short, lateral lobes on the upper 1/3 of the blade. Flowers: Inflorescence straight and upright, becoming elongate, the flowers remote and hidden by the overlapping bracts; bracts about the width of the upper leaves, oblong, obtuse, puberulent, with 1-3 pairs of short, lateral lobes near the apex, golden yellow; calyx 15-18 mm. long, deeply cleft above and below, its primary lobes again divided into 2 linear segments; corolla 20-23 mm. long, the upper lip slender, about 3-4 times the length of the lower lip; stamens 4. Fruit: Capsule.

Bloom Period

April- September

References

Media:Example.ogg===Seed=== Abbreviation: CALE

Seed sample from: 2010

Measurement: 1.4 x 0.7 x 0.6

Measurement range: L: 1.1 – 1.5, W: 0.5 - 0.9, D: 0.4 - 0.9

Shape: Seed is narrow at the hilium, widening at opposite end to create a cone like shape.

Color: Embryo surrounded by distinct honeycombed seed coat that is light tan and transparent. Inside, a golden brown, rice-shaped embryo is visible.

Surface: Seed is shiny and deeply honeycombed in texture.

Latitudinal cross section: elliptical

Longitudinal cross section: triangular