Burke: Pedicularis rainierensis vs. Pedicularis ornithorhyncha

	Pedicularis rainierensis	Pedicularis ornithorhyncha
	Mt. Rainier lousewort
Habit	Coarsely fibrous-rooted perennial, the clustered stems 1.5-4 dm. high, glabrous below the villous inflorescence.	Fibrous-rooted perennial with a woody base, the stems 0.5-3 dm. tall, glabrous below the inflorescence.
Leaves	Basal leaves 5-15 cm. long, the blade longer than the petiole, up to 3 cm. wide, pinnate, the leaflets sharply incised and often again toothed; cauline leaves similar, several, reduced upward and becoming sessile.	Basal leaves 3-12 cm. long, slightly exceeding the petiole, sub-pinnatifid, the narrow leaflets deeply cleft and often again toothed; cauline leaves few and poorly developed, or wanting.
Flowers	Inflorescence a spike-like raceme, the bracts toothed; calyx lobes 5, tapered, the upper the shortest, the others partly united into 2 lateral pairs; corolla pale creamy-yellow, 1.5 cm. long, bilabiate, the upper lip about equaling the tube, hooded but beakless; lower lip small, 3-lobed; stigma capitate.	Inflorescence capitate, often with one or two smaller, separate, lower clusters; bracts cleft; calyx lobes 5, short, equal; corolla pinkish-purple, bilabiate, the upper lip hooded, extending at right angles into a straight beak; lower lip 3-lobed; stigma capitate.
Fruits	Capsule glabrous, flattened, curved.	Capsule glabrous, flattened, curved.

	Pedicularis rainierensis	Pedicularis ornithorhyncha
Identification notes		The only other species in our are of a similar reddish color, P. groenlandica, has an elongate inflorescence; P. ornithorhynchus\\'s inflorescence is head-like, about as wide as high.
Flowering time	July-August	July-September
Habitat	Moist alpine meadows.	Subalpine and alpine meadows.
Distribution	Endemic to Mount Rainier National Park area in Washington. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Washington. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native	Native
Conservation status	Sensitive in Washington (WANHP)	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	P. bracteosa, P. contorta, P. groenlandica, P. ornithorhynchos, P. pulchella, P. racemosa	P. bracteosa, P. contorta, P. groenlandica, P. ornithorhynchos, P. pulchella, P. racemosa, P. rainierensis
Web links	Local floras: WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Pedicularis rainierensis

Pedicularis ornithorhyncha

Mt. Rainier lousewort

Habit

Coarsely fibrous-rooted perennial, the clustered stems 1.5-4 dm. high, glabrous below the villous inflorescence.

Fibrous-rooted perennial with a woody base, the stems 0.5-3 dm. tall, glabrous below the inflorescence.

Leaves

Basal leaves 5-15 cm. long, the blade longer than the petiole, up to 3 cm. wide, pinnate, the leaflets sharply incised and often again toothed;

cauline leaves similar, several, reduced upward and becoming sessile.

Basal leaves 3-12 cm. long, slightly exceeding the petiole, sub-pinnatifid, the narrow leaflets deeply cleft and often again toothed;

cauline leaves few and poorly developed, or wanting.

Flowers

Inflorescence a spike-like raceme, the bracts toothed;

calyx lobes 5, tapered, the upper the shortest, the others partly united into 2 lateral pairs;

corolla pale creamy-yellow, 1.5 cm. long, bilabiate, the upper lip about equaling the tube, hooded but beakless; lower lip small, 3-lobed;

stigma capitate.

Inflorescence capitate, often with one or two smaller, separate, lower clusters;

bracts cleft;

calyx lobes 5, short, equal;

corolla pinkish-purple, bilabiate, the upper lip hooded, extending at right angles into a straight beak; lower lip 3-lobed;

stigma capitate.

Fruits

Capsule glabrous, flattened, curved.

Pedicularis rainierensis

Pedicularis ornithorhyncha

Identification notes

The only other species in our are of a similar reddish color, P. groenlandica, has an elongate inflorescence; P. ornithorhynchus\\'s inflorescence is head-like, about as wide as high.

Flowering time

July-August

July-September

Habitat

Moist alpine meadows.

Subalpine and alpine meadows.

Distribution