About Castilleja exserta (A.Heller) T.I.Chuang & Heckard
Castilleja exserta is an annual herb that grows between 100 and 450 millimetres (4 to 18 inches) tall. It has a hairy stem covered in thread-like leaves. Like other closely related Castilleja species, this plant is a hemiparasite: it obtains some of its nutrients directly from the roots of other plants by infiltrating those roots with haustoria. Because of this hemiparasitic lifestyle, Castilleja exserta's own leaves are small and reduced in size. While this species varies in appearance and readily hybridizes with other Castilleja species, it typically produces a brightly colored inflorescence made up of shaggy pink-purple or lavender flowers. Its thin, erect bracts are usually tipped with the same bright color as the flowers, which gives the entire inflorescence a paintbrush-like appearance.
