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coil-beak lousewort, coiled lousewort, coiled pedicularis, curve-beak lousewort, curved-beak lousewort, white coiled-beak lousewort

dwarf lousewort, Great Basin lousewort

Habit Plants 10–50 cm. Plants 4–12 cm.
Leaves

basal 3–10, blade lanceolate, 30–100 x 5–30 mm, 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping, entire or serrate, surfaces glabrous;

cauline 2–10, blade elliptic or triangular to lanceolate, 5–70 x 10–25 mm, 1-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping, entire or serrate, surfaces glabrous.

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.

Racemes

simple, 1–6, exceeding basal leaves, each 12–40-flowered;

bracts trullate to obtrullate, 5–18 x 2–15 mm, pinnatifid, margins entire, surfaces glabrous.

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.

Pedicels

1.5–5.5 mm.

1–5 mm.

Flowers

calyx 5–9 mm, glabrous, lobes 5, triangular, 1–3 mm, apex entire, glabrous;

corolla 7–13 mm, tube white or cream to yellowish or pink to pinkish purple, 4–7 mm;

galea white or cream to yellowish with purple spots at base, or pink to pinkish purple, 2–5.5 mm, beaked, beak coiled, 5–9 mm, base curving, margins entire medially and distally, apex surrounded by abaxial lip, axis of coil nearly vertical;

abaxial lip surrounding beak, white or cream to yellowish, or pink to pinkish purple, 5–8 mm.

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.

Pedicularis contorta

Pedicularis centranthera

Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; OR; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

The coiled beak that extends directly downward from the top of the galea is distinctive in Pedicularis contorta. Seen from the side, the large, upward-expanded, lateral lobes of the abaxial lip surround the beak, concealing it from view. The flowers of P. contorta are very similar to those of P. racemosa; however, the leaves of P. racemosa are undivided, the beak curves down and to one side, and the inflorescence often branches, forming a panicle of short racemes with long internodes between flowers.

Flower and calyx color and width of the subtending floral bracts delimit three varieties in Pedicularis contorta; corolla color is difficult to discern in herbarium specimens. The following key is adapted from R. N. Reese (1984).

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

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.)

Key
1. Corolla tubes, galeas, and abaxial lips white or cream to yellowish, galeas with purple spots at base; calyces pale green.
var. contorta
1. Corolla tubes, galeas, and abaxial lips pink to pinkish purple; calyces green or reddish with purple spots.
→ 2
2. Calyces green; bracts 5–8 mm wide, proximal margins ciliate.
var. ctenophora
2. Calyces reddish with purple spots; bracts 2–4 mm wide, proximal margins glabrous.
var. rubicunda
1. Bracts arachnoid and/or margins ciliate.
var. centranthera
1. Bracts glabrous.
var. exulans
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 519. FNA vol. 17, p. 518.
Parent taxa Orobanchaceae > Pedicularis Orobanchaceae > Pedicularis
Sibling taxa
P. angustifolia, P. attollens, P. aurantiaca, P. bracteosa, P. canadensis, P. capitata, P. centranthera, P. chamissonis, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
P. contorta var. contorta, P. contorta var. ctenophora, P. contorta var. rubicunda
P. centranthera var. centranthera, P. centranthera var. exulans
Name authority Bentham: in W. J. Hooker, Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 108. (1838) A. Gray: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 120. (1859)
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