Pink to Red Flowers 243 



RED INDIAN PAINT BRUSH 



Castilleja miniata. Figwort Family 



Stems: numerous and tufted on a short rootstock, mostly simple and 

 strict. Leaves: lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, acute, entire. Flowers: 

 spikes short and dense; corolla long; galea exserted, longer than the 

 tube, the short lower lip protuberant and callous with short, ovate, 

 involute teeth. 



This flower, though actually of a pale greenish-yellow 

 colour, is almost entirely enfolded in a long, tubular, green- 

 ish calyx, so that it is chiefly conspicuous by reason of its 

 large gorgeously coloured bracts of pink, rose, scarlet, 

 crimson, or orange (and sometimes white), and therefore 

 I have placed it in the Pink to Red Section, for it is here 

 that most people will look for it, as only botanists are ever 

 likely to guess that it is not in reality a gaudy flower. 



The Red Indian Paint Brush is the only alpine wild 

 flower which really rivals the scarlet geranium of our culti- 

 vated gardens, and no grander sight may be seen by travel- 

 lers than w^here from " tree-line," close to the edge of the 

 eternal snows, down into the deep green heart of the valleys, 

 the slopes and steeps are clothed with a marvellous mantle 

 of vermilion and golden CastiUejas. As the sunlight 

 flames across these royal-robed hills every blossom blooms 

 and burns with effulgent glory, until 



" Earth's crammed with Heaven, 

 And every common bush afire with God." 



No words can describe the brilliant beauty of such a 

 scene, far from uncommon at the higher altitudes, where 

 many species of Castilleja thrive abundantly, and you may 

 walk for miles across meadows and banks whereon the 

 Paint Brushes and Painted Cups (or Flame-flowers, as they 



