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Texas Paintbrush

This photograph of a Texas Paintbrush is another one in the series of photographs that I captured while attending the Native Plants of Texas course at the LBJ Wildflower Center in Austin. The instructor provided some information about this Texas Paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa) that I did not know. Apparently, the red portion of the plant is not the actual flower. These red bracts surround the white to greenish flowers. The plant gets its name because the bracts make it look like a ragged brush that has been dipped in paint.

The Texas Paintbrush (aka Texas Indian Paintbrush or Indian Paintbrush) is a hemiparasitic annual plant. Its roots grow until they reach the roots of other plants, mainly grasses, and then penetrate the roots of the “host” plant to obtain a portion of their needed nutrients. These flowers mix with other common flowers like the Texas Bluebonnet to adorn the Texas countryside in the spring.

Texas Paintbrush
Texas Paintbrush

This image was taken with my Sony Alpha A7R II using my Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro Lens. The camera was set on Manual mode with the aperture set at f/8, shutter speed at 1/1250th of a second and the ISO set at 1000. I had to hand-hold the camera because I did not bring a tripod. This is a single image processed in Lightroom.

You can access the profile for this flower by clicking here. Please use the section below to post your comments, questions or suggestions.

T. Kahler Photography
© 2016 T. Kahler Photography

4 thoughts on “Texas Paintbrush”

  1. Hand hold for that close must have been fun. Great shot. I really like the depth on this one. Closely matching the levels in the flower.

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