About Castilleja sessiliflora Pursh
Castilleja sessiliflora Pursh is a perennial herb that grows one or more stems 10 to 40 centimeters (4 to 16 inches) tall from a woody root crown. It is hemiparasitic, meaning it gets water and nutrients from other plants by tapping into their roots. This species has been observed parasitizing eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) and oldfield juniper (Juniperus communis var. depressa). It can reproduce both sexually, and vegetatively by resprouting from its root crown. Its petals are fused into a curving tube, and its shorter sepals have narrow lobes. The entire inflorescence shows shades of green, yellowish, and pink. This plant grows in multiple habitat types, including prairie, shinnery, Texas savanna, and shrubsteppe. It is pollinated by hawk moths. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this species is less dependent on host plants than other members of the Castilleja genus. Noted wildflower author Claude A. Barr reported that he moved a specimen of this plant into his garden, where it lived for several years and produced one seedling without a visible host.
