Floral bract color of Castilleja coccinea may influence seed viability

Castilleja coccinea is a native annual or biennial plant with showy scarlet or yellow bracts. Although much is known about the hemi-parasitic nature of the plant, little is understood about the influence of floral color polymorphisms of Castilleja bracts on seed viability. Using computer software and X-ray technology, we assessed color variation and seed viability in two populations of C. coccinea in the Illinois State Beach Park, Zion, Ilinois. Since floral color influences pollination, we hypothesize that variation in color of floral bracts of populations could positively influence seed viability