Indian Paintbrush.... I think

[jimscott]

 

[Dexenthes]

That doesn't look like the indian paintbrush that I know. It actually looks like a type of invasive dandelion relative, I've forgotten its name. But it's a member of that family.

Notice how little this plant looks like the one you photographed:

http://www.rockymountainfstop.com/html/indian_paintbrush_mtn.html

 

[jimscott]

I googled it and leaned that there over 200 species of plants within the genus Castilleja

http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castilleja

So I tried to narrow it down to the region in which I live. As far as I could tell, what we have is Castilleja coccinea. This is what we grew up calling them.

http://http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CACO17

 

[sarracenia]

Looks like it could be orange hawkweed, Hieracium aurantiucum

 

[jimscott]

It looks like red dandelions!

 

[Dexenthes]

Yeah just reviewed a pamphlet of invasive plants and that does look like Orange Hawkweed to me.

 

[Jason Ksepka]

My guess is also orange hawkweed

 

[jimscott]

I googled it http://http://www.co.silverbow.mt.us/weeds/hawkweed.asp

The flower looks the same but the leaves look a little different. Anyways, I was taught that this plant, whatever it is, is called, "Indian Paintbrush".

 

[Dexenthes]

True paintbrushes are members of the Castilleja genus. Someone taught you wrong! Orange Hawkweed and other types of hawkweeds are highly invasive and no bueno!

 

[jimscott]

Are they edible, like dandelions?

 

[Dexenthes]

I'm not sure! I know that true paintbrush are edible, in small amounts and supposedly tasty.