The bright red parts aren't petalsSourced
A desert plant glows red.
The color is mostly not from its flowers.
Desert paintbrush in the western United States appears to have vivid red or orange flowers. Much of that color comes from bracts, leaf-like structures around the flowers. The actual flowers are small and yellowish-green.
The showiest part
isn't always a petal.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
Source and reuse details
Castilleja chromosa · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-01