In 1917, Indian Paintbrush was chosen as the state flower. The genus, which contains about 200 species, is native to the cooler portions of North and Central America and Asia, and to the Andes. Because Indian paintbrushes, also called painted cups, are parasitic on the roots of other plants, they have not been naturalized and have rarely been cultivated away from their native habitat. For more information on Indian Paintbrush or other Wyoming facts, see the secretary of state’s website at sos.wyo.gov/Services/StateInfo_Symbols.aspx.