RHH's photos with the keyword: levisecta

This is a coastal species of Indian Paintbrush that is now on the endangered species list. Castilleja levisecta, the Golden Paintbrush is endangered through loss of habitat especially. The population where this photo was taken is now monitored and protected from the mowings that were destroying it there.

This is another close-up photo of the very rare and endangered Golden Paintbrush, Castilleja levisecta. It is a coastal species and in the area where this plant was photographed is carefully protected.

This is Castilleja levisecta, the Golden Paintbrush, one of Washington's most endangered species. My wildflower book says, "Only two sites left in Canada with about 2000 plants; rare and endangered in Washington; reported extirpated from its historical range in Willamette Valley, Oregon," and adds, "Consider yourself very lucky if you find this plant," which I do. This example was photographed on Whidbey Island in a state park where it is protected. In fact, when I was there, a group of volunteers was doing a survey of the area and told me that with protection the number of plants at the site had increased from just over 200 to nearly 4000.

If I am not mistaken, this is the very rare Golden Paintbrush, Castilleja levisecta, among Washington's rarest plants and listed by the Federal government as threatened in the United States. Mark Turner and Phyllis Gustafson in their book on Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest, say, "consider yourself very lucky if you find this plant, and take special precautions to protect it and its habitat." We found a large area of it growing on the shores of Puget Sound in Fort Casey State Park, where it was protected by a low fence and a lack of mowing. Not wanting to enter the fence, I managed to get some pictures from just outside, and hope that my identification of it is correct, though the fact that it was being protected in this location suggests that it is indeed the Golden Paintbrush. One more picture along with pictures of Fort Casey and the other Coastal Forts on Puget Sound can be found here: ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2011/07/fort-ebey-f... .