Flower:

Flowers are clustered at the top of the plant and at the end of stems arising from leaf axils near the top of the plant, though most plants are unbranched. Individual flowers are about ¾ inch long, tubular, green to yellow with a protruding style that often curves down at the tip. The bracts are showy and seem more petal-like, hairy, lobed in 3 to 5 parts, red to orange (rarely yellow) at the tip end and usually green at the base. Clusters are dense spikes that elongate as the plant matures.

Leaves and stem:

There are both basal and stem leaves. Basal leaves are oblong to egg-shaped, typically wither away by the time the flowers bloom. Stem leaves are to 3 inches long, alternately attached, stemless, and usually deeply divided into 3 lobes, becoming smaller as they ascend the stem. Leaves and stems are hairy; stems are green or more often reddish brown.

Notes:

Indian Paintbrush is partially parasitic. Host plants include various native prairie grasses, such as hairy grama and June grass, as well as other wildflowers. All of the Castilleja species were formerly in family Scrophulariaceae (Figwort) but have been reassigned to Orobanchaceae (Broomrape) along with other parasitic species.