Pedicularis bracteosa
Pedicularis rainierensis
bract lousewort, fernleaf, towering lousewort, wood-betony
Mt. Rainier lousewort
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 2–5, blade lanceolate, 40–80 x 3–20 mm, 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or slightly overlapping distally, serrate to 2-serrate, surfaces glabrous;
cauline 2–6, blade lanceolate, 15–70 x 5–20 mm, 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or slightly overlapping distally, serrate, surfaces glabrous.
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, 1–4, exceeding basal leaves, each 10–50-flowered;
bracts lanceolate or subulate to trullate, 10–15 x 1–2 mm, undivided or pinnatifid, proximal margins entire, distal serrate, surfaces glabrous or tomentose.
0.5–1 mm.
1–3.5 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 7.5–11 mm, hispid to tomentose, lobes 5, linear to narrowly triangular, 4–5 mm, apex entire, glabrous or ciliate;
corolla 16–19 mm, tube light or dark yellow, 8–10 mm;
galea light or dark yellow, 8–9 mm, beakless, margins entire medially and distally, apex arching beyond abaxial lip;
abaxial lip light or dark yellow, 4–5 mm.
Pedicularis bracteosa
Pedicularis rainierensis
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.)
Pedicularis rainierensis is known from Mt. Rainier and the Crystal Mountain area. The species is easily confused with P. bracteosa var. latifolia, which often occurs in the same meadows. While the sizes and shapes of their flowers are nearly indistinguishable, P. rainierensis is a much smaller plant with leaves only about three fourths the size, proximal leaf lobes less than one fifth the size, inflorescences about one half the length, and the number of flowers greatly reduced in comparison to those of P. bracteosa var. latifolia.
(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
