I seeded some Indian/Texas Paintbrush a few years back and some new plants
growing near the house seemed to have spontaneously mutated and are
producing colors like yellow, rose and bright orange (pics he
http://www.iuploads.com/free_image_h...e/paintbrs.jpg
) Is this a common occurrence? I've never seen these colors in the wild
before.

Please reply here, address is invalid.

Thanks. I sent the photos to before I found the
following on their web site:

"Are the color variations in indian paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa) a
matter of genetic mutation or minerals in the soil? I say it's genetic and
the rest of the family says it's environmental.

Answer: Congratulations! You are right that the color variations of Indian
paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa) are due to genetics. "Normal" color
variations range from carmine to brick red to salmon. Less common are
yellow- and white-flowered individuals. While soil conditions can have a
small effect on flower color, the variations you are seeing are genetic in
origin."

I'm kind of surprised that no one is breeding these variations. They really
stand out among the "normally" colored flowers.


escape wrote in message
...
On Tue, 03 May 2005 22:16:21 GMT, "La Vie Dansante"
opined:

I seeded some Indian/Texas Paintbrush a few years back and some new
plants
growing near the house seemed to have spontaneously mutated and are
producing colors like yellow, rose and bright orange (pics he

http://www.iuploads.com/free_image_h...te/paintbrs.jp
g
) Is this a common occurrence? I've never seen these colors in the wild
before.

Please reply here, address is invalid.


I have never seen this happen, but I would urge you to forward your
photo's to
The Ladybird Wildflower Research Center immediately.





Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for yourself or a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html

I've noticed that they can be very fickle, but the only real drawback I've
had with them is a resident cottontail that nibbles off the shorter flower
heads/bracts...He ate my lone bright orange one the other day, but luckily,
they tend to branch out in multiple when clipped off like that. What I
continue to wonder about, though, is if the seed from the "mutant" plants
will produce similar offspring or if they are prone to revert to the
"normal" color range through cross-pollination (like the Maroon Bluebonnet).
Only time will tell, I guess.


escape wrote in message
...
Good for you! Indian paintbrush is a parasite and requires certain
conditions
and other certain native grasses in order to thrive in a natural setting.
They
are rarely found alone without no other grasses or forbs near them. It is
a
very difficult plant to propagate. Near perfect conditions have to
happen,
which makes your find even more special.

V


On Wed, 04 May 2005 03:13:04 GMT, "La Vie Dansante"
opined:

Thanks. I sent the photos to before I found the
following on their web site:

"Are the color variations in indian paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa) a
matter of genetic mutation or minerals in the soil? I say it's genetic
and
the rest of the family says it's environmental.

Answer: Congratulations! You are right that the color variations of
Indian
paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa) are due to genetics. "Normal" color
variations range from carmine to brick red to salmon. Less common are
yellow- and white-flowered individuals. While soil conditions can have a
small effect on flower color, the variations you are seeing are genetic
in
origin."

I'm kind of surprised that no one is breeding these variations. They
really
stand out among the "normally" colored flowers.


escape wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 03 May 2005 22:16:21 GMT, "La Vie Dansante"

opined:

I seeded some Indian/Texas Paintbrush a few years back and some new
plants
growing near the house seemed to have spontaneously mutated and are
producing colors like yellow, rose and bright orange (pics he


http://www.iuploads.com/free_image_h...nte/paintbrs.j
p
g
) Is this a common occurrence? I've never seen these colors in the
wild
before.

Please reply here, address is invalid.


I have never seen this happen, but I would urge you to forward your
photo's to
The Ladybird Wildflower Research Center immediately.





Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for yourself or a
friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html







Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for yourself or a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html

Here's the official reply from the Wildflower Center:

We got a similar question very recently from someone else about the color
variations of the Indian paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa). It is a matter
of genetics. Probably your plants didn't mutate; but, instead, carried the
right form of the color genes that combined with similar forms of the genes
from another plant to produce the new colors. You can read the answer to
the question we wrote from before at:

http://www.wildflower2.org/NPIN/FAQs/Detail.asp?ID=326


Thank you very much for your question and your photographs. We hope you
will contact the Wildflower Center again with your native plant questions.

Very best wishes,

[snip]