Taxon Report

Castilleja cinerea Gray

ash-gray paintbrush

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Castilleja cinerea, commonly known as ash-gray paintbrush, is a perennial herb (hemiparasitic) in the Orobanchaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Meadows and seeps, Mojavean desert scrub, Pebble (Pavement) plain, Pinyon and juniper woodland, Upper montane coniferous forest (clay, and openings), growing at elevations from 1800 to 2960 meters. Castilleja cinerea is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Castilleja cinerea Gray
Common Name:	ash-gray paintbrush
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Element Code:	PDSCR0D0H0
USDA Plants Symbol:	CACI6
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb (hemiparasitic)
Blooming Period: Jun-Aug	Jun-Aug
Elevation:	1800-2960 (5905-9710)
General Habitats:	Meadows and seeps, Mojavean desert scrub, Pebble (Pavement) plain, Pinyon and juniper woodland, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G1G2
State Rank:	S1S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	FT
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	53
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	5
Good (B)	7
Fair (C)	8
Poor (D)	3
None (X)	1
Unknown (U)	29

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Big Bear City (3411637), Big Bear Lake (3411628), Fawnskin (3411638), Keller Peak (3411721), Moonridge (3411627), Onyx Peak (3411626)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	13
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	33	62 %
ORV activity	22	41%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	17	32%
Foot traffic/trampling	16	30%
Development	15	28%
Non-native plant impacts	11	20%
Road/trail construction/maint.	10	18%
Other	7	13%
Mining	6	11%
Non-native animal impacts	5	9%
Grazing	4	7%
Wood cutting or brush clearing	4	7%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	3	5%
Erosion/runoff	2	3%

Notes



Threatened by vehicles, development, logging, non-native plants, vegetation/fuels management, mining, recreational activities, road maintenance, and grazing. See Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 19:93 (1883) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 3 November 2025].