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dwarf lousewort, Great Basin lousewort

swamp lousewort

Habit Plants 4–12 cm. Plants 20–100 cm.
Leaves

basal 6–8, blade elliptic or spatulate, 35–120 x 10–30 mm, undivided or 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or extensively overlapping distally, entire or 1- or 2-serrate, surfaces glabrous or scattered abaxial glands;

cauline 0–4, blade elliptic, sometimes lanceolate, 20–110 x 5–30 mm, 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes overlapping distally, 1- or 2-serrate, surfaces glabrous.

basal 0;

cauline 10–30, blade lanceolate, 20–100 x 10–30 mm, 1-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping, 2-serrate, surfaces hispid.

Racemes

simple, 1–4, not exceeding basal leaves, each 8–14-flowered;

bracts spatulate, 40–60 x 3–6 mm, undivided proximally, undivided or 1-pinnatifid distally, proximal margins entire, distal 1- or 2-serrate, surfaces glabrous, sometimes arachnoid along main veins.

paniculate, 1, each 10–20-flowered;

bracts lanceolate to trullate, 5–10 x 3–5 mm, undivided or 1-pinnatifid and 1- or 2-auricled, proximal margins entire, distal 1- or 2-serrate, surfaces glabrous or hispid.

Pedicels

1–5 mm.

1–1.5 mm.

Flowers

calyx 17–22 mm, glabrous, lobes 5, narrowly triangular, 4–7 mm, apex entire or serrate, glabrous or ciliate;

corolla 28–40 mm, tube white or pale purple, 15–30 mm;

galea white or pale purple, apically sometimes dark violet to purple, 13–15 mm, beakless, margins entire medially and distally, apex arching over abaxial lip;

abaxial lip purple, 1–4 mm.

calyx 7–12 mm, glabrous or hispid, lobes 2, trullate, ovate, elliptic, or triangular, 2.5–3.5 mm, apex serrate, glabrous, sometimes ciliate;

corolla 16–22 mm, tube white, cream, or light yellow, 8–12 mm;

galea white, cream, or light yellow, 8–12 mm, beaked, beak straight, 0.5–2.5 mm, margins entire medially and distally, apex extending over abaxial lip;

abaxial lip white, cream, or light yellow, 7–10 mm.

2n

= 16.

Pedicularis centranthera

Pedicularis lanceolata

Phenology Flowering Aug–Oct.
Habitat Wet meadows, fens, springs, moist prairies, swamps.
Elevation 10–1100 m. (0–3600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; OR; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; CT; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; MI; MN; MO; NC; ND; NE; NJ; NY; OH; PA; SD; TN; VA; WI; WV; MB; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

The leaves of Pedicularis centranthera exceed the inflorescence, giving the impression that the cauline leaves are basal. Proximalmost basal leaves are distinct: brown, membranous, and spatulate with undivided and entire margins. Pedicularis semibarbata has similar basal leaves.

Pedicularis centranthera occurs in evergreen forests, often under pinyon pine, juniper, ponderosa pine, and yellow pine.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

The long corolla tubes of Pedicularis lanceolata are uncharacteristically nectarless, and only late season pollen-foraging worker bumblebees pollinate this species (L. W. Macior 1969). The uniquely hinged abaxial lip covering the opening of the galea is an adaptation to allow only worker bumblebees access to the anthers, as they must learn to push it aside during foraging.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Bracts arachnoid and/or margins ciliate.
var. centranthera
1. Bracts glabrous.
var. exulans
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 518. FNA vol. 17, p. 525.
Parent taxa Orobanchaceae > Pedicularis Orobanchaceae > Pedicularis
Sibling taxa
P. angustifolia, P. attollens, P. aurantiaca, P. bracteosa, P. canadensis, P. capitata, P. chamissonis, P. contorta, P. crenulata, P. cystopteridifolia, P. densiflora, P. dudleyi, P. flammea, P. furbishiae, P. groenlandica, P. hirsuta, P. howellii, P. labradorica, P. lanata, P. lanceolata, P. langsdorffii, P. lapponica, P. oederi, P. ornithorhyncha, P. ornithorhynchos, P. palustris, P. parryi, P. parviflora, P. pennellii, P. procera, P. pulchella, P. racemosa, P. rainierensis, P. semibarbata, P. sudetica, P. sylvatica, P. verticillata
P. angustifolia, P. attollens, P. aurantiaca, P. bracteosa, P. canadensis, P. capitata, P. centranthera, P. chamissonis, P. contorta, P. crenulata, P. cystopteridifolia, P. densiflora, P. dudleyi, P. flammea, P. furbishiae, P. groenlandica, P. hirsuta, P. howellii, P. labradorica, P. lanata, P. langsdorffii, P. lapponica, P. oederi, P. ornithorhyncha, P. ornithorhynchos, P. palustris, P. parryi, P. parviflora, P. pennellii, P. procera, P. pulchella, P. racemosa, P. rainierensis, P. semibarbata, P. sudetica, P. sylvatica, P. verticillata
Subordinate taxa
P. centranthera var. centranthera, P. centranthera var. exulans
Name authority A. Gray: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 120. (1859) Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 18. (1803)
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