Indian paintbrush

Indian paintbrush

noun

Definition of INDIAN PAINTBRUSH

1

: any of a genus (Castilleja) of herbaceous plants of the snapdragon family that have brightly colored bracts —called also painted cup

2

: orange hawkweed

Illustration of INDIAN PAINTBRUSH

First Known Use of INDIAN PAINTBRUSH

circa 1892

Indian paintbrush

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Any plant of the genus Castilleja in the broomrape family, (Orobanchaceae), which contains about 200 species of partially or wholly parasitic wildflowers that obtain nourishment from the roots of other plants. The small, tubular, two-lipped flowers are surrounded by brightly coloured upper leaves, giving the plant the appearance of having been dipped in a pot of red, orange, yellow, pink, or white paint.

Variants of INDIAN PAINTBRUSH

Indian paintbrush or paintbrush