Prairie Fire
by Jon Burch Photography
Title
Prairie Fire
Artist
Jon Burch Photography
Medium
Photograph - Digital Capture
Description
Castilleja, commonly known as Indian paintbrush or prairie-fire, is a genus of about 200 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants native to the west of the Americas from Alaska south to the Andes, northern Asia, and one species as far west as the Kola Peninsula in Siberia. These plants are classified in the broomrape family, Orobanchaceae. The generic name honors the Spanish botanist Domingo Castillejo.
According to Wikipedia, "the flowers of Indian paintbrush are edible, and were consumed in moderation by various Native American tribes as a condiment with other fresh greens. These plants have a tendency to absorb and concentrate selenium in their tissues from the soils in which they grow, and can be potentially very toxic if the roots or green parts of the plant are consumed. Highly alkaline soils increase the selenium levels in the plants. Indian paintbrush has similar health benefits to consuming garlic if ONLY the flowers are eaten in small amounts and in moderation."
Image made in the Colorado Rocky mountains, copyright 2014 Jon Burch Photography
Uploaded
August 9th, 2014
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