Confusing Paintbrushes in Montana

Earlier in season we found a yellow paintbrush in a wet meadow just outside of East Glacier. That one must have been Sulphur Paintbrush. But up on Logan Pass? I just wasn't sure. Whichever one was up there, it was a lovely counterpoint to the Rosy Paintbrush, and there were many plants which were evidently hybrids of the two; the bracts ranged in color from nearly white to pale yellow, all with rosy highlights; some with more highlights than others, but all with some shade and amount of rosy red on the pale bracts.

The yellow species I found growing in the short grass plains east of the park was much easier to identify. This one was Yellowish Paintbrush (C. lutescehs), which is found in coniferous forests and open grasslands. It also has lance-shaped leaves, like the other yellow species, but this was in a much drier environment. It had to be different, didn't it?

"Confusing Paintbrushes in Montana" (c) 2006 Gregg M. Pasterick - All Rights Reserved.

All Photographs (c) Gregg M. Pasterick - All Rights Reserved.

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