Pedicularis bracteosa
Pedicularis capitata
bract lousewort, fernleaf, towering lousewort, wood-betony
capitate lousewort, pédiculaire capitée
basal 0–10, blade lanceolate, 20–120 x 10–60 mm, 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or slightly overlapping distally, 1- or 2-serrate, surfaces glabrous;
cauline 4–10, blade lanceolate, 10–270 x 8–150 mm, undivided or 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping, serrate to 2-serrate, surfaces glabrous or scattered glandular.
basal 2 or 3, blade ovate or elliptic, 10–40 x 5–20 mm, 2(or 3)-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or extensively overlapping distally, serrate, surfaces glabrous or hirsute;
cauline 0–2, blade elliptic, 5–25 x 5–10 mm, 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or extensively overlapping distally, serrate, surfaces scattered hispid.
simple, 1–4, exceeding basal leaves, each 15–75-flowered;
bracts lanceolate or subulate to trullate, 10–20 x 2–10 mm, undivided, proximal margins entire, distal entire or serrate, surfaces glabrous, hispid, or tomentose.
simple, capitate, 1 or 2, exceeding basal leaves, each 2–8-flowered;
bracts subulate to narrowly lanceolate, 10–20(–50) x 6–8 mm, undivided proximally, undivided or 1- or 2-pinnatifid distally, proximal margins entire, distal serrate, surfaces sparsely tomentose.
0.5–1 mm.
2–3 mm.
calyx 7–15 mm, glabrous or tomentose, lobes 5, triangular or filiform, 1–10 mm, apex entire, glabrous or ciliate;
corolla 14–27 mm, tube yellow or dark blood red, 6–12 mm;
galea yellow to yellow tinged with red, purple tinged with yellow, or dark blood red, 6–15 mm, beakless or beaked, beak straight, 0.8–2.5 mm, margins entire medially and distally, apex arching over abaxial lip;
abaxial lip expanded, yellow, yellow tinged with purple, or dark blood red, 4.5–6.5 mm.
calyx 10–15 mm, hirsute, lobes 5, triangular to spatulate, 4–6 mm, apex serrate, glabrous;
corolla 19–40 mm, tube light yellow, sometimes cream to pink, 5–20 mm;
galea light yellow, sometimes cream to pink, apically sometimes diffuse purple, 12–20 mm, beakless, margins entire medially and distally, apex arching beyond abaxial lip;
abaxial lip light yellow, sometimes cream to pink, 10–15 mm.
= 16 (Asia).
Pedicularis bracteosa
Pedicularis capitata
Varieties 8 (8 in the flora).
Pedicularis bracteosa is found in subalpine habitats across much of western North America, occurring throughout the Rocky Mountains from central British Columbia and Alberta to northern New Mexico, as well as the Coast Range south to northern California.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Inflorescences of Pedicularis capitata display no more than five clustered flowers; the long, vertical corolla tube and curved galea that arches over the appressed, broad lobes of the abaxial lip are distinctive. The tip of the galea can be the same color as the corolla tube and abaxial lip but sometimes is a diffuse pink to purple and not distinctly bicolored as in the galeas of P. flammea or P. oederi, with which it is often confused.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Galeas beaked. | → 2 |
2. Calyces tomentose. | var. canbyi |
2. Calyces glabrous. | var. siifolia |
1. Galeas beakless. | → 3 |
3. Calyx lobes filiform. | → 4 |
4. Corollas: tubes yellow, galeas yellow to yellow tinged with red, or purple tinged with yellow, abaxial lips yellow to yellow tinged with purple. | var. bracteosa |
4. Corollas: tubes, galeas, and abaxial lips dark blood red. | var. atrosanguinea |
3. Calyx lobes triangular. | → 5 |
5. Galeas 10–15 mm. | var. paysoniana |
5. Galeas 7–11 mm. | → 6 |
6. Galea apices acute; British Colombia, Idaho, Washington. | var. latifolia |
6. Galea apices obtuse; Blue and Wallowa mountains, Cascade Range, Oregon and Washington. | → 7 |
7. Calyces slightly hispid; Cascade Range, Oregon and Washington. | var. flavida |
7. Calyces tomentose; Blue and Wallowa mountains, Oregon, and Washington. | var. pachyrhiza |
BC
OR
WA
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
