Taxon Report

Castilleja elata Piper

Siskiyou paintbrush

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Taxon Summary

Castilleja elata, commonly known as Siskiyou paintbrush, is a perennial herb (hemiparasitic) in the Orobanchaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Bogs and fens, and Lower montane coniferous forest (seeps), growing at elevations from 0 to 1750 meters. Castilleja elata is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Castilleja elata Piper
Common Name:	Siskiyou paintbrush
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Element Code:	PDSCR0D213
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:	Castilleja miniata ssp. elata

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb (hemiparasitic)
Blooming Period: May-Aug	May-Aug
Elevation:	0-1750 (0-5740)
General Habitats:	Bogs and fens, Lower montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Serpentine (often)
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G3
State Rank:	S2S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	36
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	35

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Del Norte (DNT), Siskiyou (SIS)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Chimney Rock (4112356), Devils Punchbowl (4112376), Gasquet (4112378), High Divide (4112481), High Plateau Mtn. (4112388), Hiouchi (4112471), Hurdygurdy Butte (4112377), Polar Bear Mtn. (4112385), Preston Peak (4112375), Shelly Creek Ridge (4112387)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	5
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	3	8 %
Foot traffic/trampling	2	5%
Road/trail construction/maint.	2	5%
Logging	1	2%
Mining	1	2%
Other	1	2%

Notes



Some specimens confused with C. miniata ssp. miniata. See C. miniata ssp. elata in TJM 2.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Profile for potential SCC evaluation (2018)

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 February 2025].