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Victoria's owl-clover

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Victoria's owl-clover

Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Orobanchaceae
Genus: Castilleja
Species:
C. victoriae
Binomial name
Castilleja victoriae
Fairbarns & J.M.Egger

Castilleja victoriae is a species of flowering plant in the broomrape family known by the common names Victoria's owl-clover and Victoria's paintbrush.[3][4]

Distribution and range

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Castilleja victoriae is endemic to a small region of southeastern Vancouver Island in British Columbia (near its namesake city of Victoria) and a single site in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. There are four or less extant populations in existence.[5]

Close up of Castilleja victoriae flowers

Description

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Stem leaves are alternate, lobed, and hairy, with no basal rosette. Upper leaves are deeply lobed, becoming purple-tipped floral bracts. Sepals form a five-lobed calyx, with petals forming two-lipped flowers measuring 10-18mm in length. Lower calyx lips are yellow with white tips, and upper lips are a creamy white. Fruits are brown capsules with two cells that split when ripe to reveal 30-70 seeds.[6][7]

Habitat

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Castilleja victoriae is found exclusively in vernal pools and seeps associated with Garry oak ecosystems within 50 metres of the coast.[5] Four of its historical occurrences have been extirpated since the turn of the last century due to habitat loss and degradation.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Castilleja victoriae". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. 2012-08-27. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  2. ^ "Victoria's Owl-clover". Species at risk public registry - Species search. Government of Canada. 2012-06-20. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  3. ^ Fairbarns, Matt; Egger, J. Mark (2007). "Castilleja Victoriae (orobanchaceae): A New Rare Species from Southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, and the Adjacent San Juan Islands, Washington, U.s.a." Madroño. 54 (4): 334–342. doi:10.3120/0024-9637(2007)54[334:CVOANR]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0024-9637. JSTOR 41426369.
  4. ^ "Castilleja victoriae (Victoria's Paintbrush)". iNaturalist Canada. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
  5. ^ a b Government of Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada (2002-07-01). "COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Victoria's Owl-clover, Castilleja victoriae, in Canada .: CW69-14/610-2010E-PDF - Government of Canada Publications - Canada.ca". publications.gc.ca. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
  6. ^ "Species at risk registry". species-registry.canada.ca. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
  7. ^ "E-Flora BC Atlas Page - Castilleja victoriae". linnet.geog.ubc.ca. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
  8. ^ "BC Conservation Data Centre: Conservation Status Report | Castilleja victoriae". a100.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 2024-07-02.