MorxTAiN FLOW i:rs 



169 



that it i^ ihu-tly c (»nsi)iciinu> In ica^<Mi , ,| us lar;;c ^^or^^couslv 

 coloured bracts of pink, rose, scarlet, crimson, or orange (and 

 sometimes white), and therefore 1 have i)laced it in the Pink 

 to Red Section, for it is here that most j)eoi)le will look for 

 it, as only botanists are e\er likel)- to i;uess that it is not in 

 reality a <^^audy fiower. 



The Red Indian Paint-brush is the only ali)ine wild llower 

 that really rivals the scarlet geranium of our cultivated gardens, 

 and no grander sight may be seen by travellers than where 

 from "tree-line," close to the coiy^c of the eternal snows that 

 enfold the towering mountain tops, down into the deep green 

 heart of the valleys, the slopes and steei)s are clothed with a 

 marvellous mantle of vermilion and golden Casfiihids. As the 

 sunlight flames across these royal-robed hills every blossom 

 blooms and burns \\nX.\\ effulgent glor\-, until 



'' Earth 's crammed with Heaven, 

 And every common hush afire with (/od." 



No words can describe the brilliant beauty of such a scene, 

 far from uncommon at the higher altitudes, where man\- species 

 of Castilleia thrive abundantly, and vou ma\- walk for miles 

 across meadows and banks whereon the Paint-brushes and 

 Painted-cups (or P^lame-flowers, as the\- are sometimes called) 

 run riot in magnificent ]:)rofusion. Ever\- colour, everv shade 

 from coral pink to cardinal, from canarx tint to tangerine, is grow- 

 ing and blowing on either hand, with here and there a single 

 snowy spike to emi)hasize the sj')lendid conflagration of colour. 



It is wonderful to note that all this carmine and gold is not 

 lavished on the corolla of the Hower at all, but onl\- on the 

 bracts, which are set below each insignificant blossom, from 

 whose cleft tube the long i^istil protrudes. The ]->lant grows 

 from six inches to two feet high and the lea\es ha\e waxy or 

 scalloped margins. 



The Castillcias are jxirasitic on the roots ^A other plants; 

 that is to say, they sometimes fasten their roots ui)on those 



