Latest / Street Smart Naturalist
Vampire Deception
Plants in the genus Castilleja have long been one my wife’s favorite wildflowers. Not simply because they are lovely bursts of color exciting the landscape, but because of the name. Whenever we see one, we musically intone Cast-ti-LAAY-HAAA, and then giggle because, well, because we think we are being darned cute. Plus, how often does one have the chance to say such a melodic name, one derived from the 18th century Spanish botanist Domingo Castillejo? For us, it’s every time we see one, so perhaps we shouldn’t chuckle as often as we do.
If you are not familiar with Castilleja, you might…
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