Pedicularis cystopteridifolia
Pedicularis pennellii
fern-leaf lousewort, fernleaf pedicularis
Pennell's lousewort
basal 2–10, blade elliptic to lanceolate, 20–90 x 5–15 mm, 2(or 3)-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping to extensively overlapping distally, serrate, surfaces glabrous;
cauline 2–8, blade triangular to lanceolate, 20–120 x 5–20 mm, 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or extensively overlapping distally, serrate, surfaces glabrous or unevenly hispid to tomentose.
basal 0–2, blade elliptic, 1–10 x 1–5 mm, 1-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or slightly overlapping distally, dentate, surfaces glabrous;
cauline 0–5, blade lanceolate or elliptic to deltate, 7–30 x 1–25 mm, 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or slightly overlapping distally, serrate, surfaces glabrous.
simple, 1–2, exceeding basal leaves, each 10–40-flowered;
bracts trullate to obtrullate or subulate to trullate, 10–25 x 2–5 mm, undivided or 1- or 2-auricled, sometimes 1-pinnatifid, proximal margins entire, distal entire or serrate, surfaces tomentose.
simple or paniculate, 1–3, exceeding basal leaves, each 8–20-flowered;
bracts deltate, 5–20 x 10–15 mm, 1- or 2-pinnatifid nearly to midrib, lobes sometimes laciniate, margins serrate, surfaces glabrous.
1–3 mm.
1–1.5 mm.
calyx 8–12 mm, tomentose, lobes 5, narrowly triangular, 3–4 mm, apex entire, ciliate;
corolla 20–26 mm, tube red or pink, 13–15 mm;
galea red or pink, 7–11 mm, beakless, margins entire medially, 1-toothed distally, apex arching over abaxial lip;
abaxial lip red or pink, 6–7.5 mm.
calyx 3.5–8.5 mm, glabrous, lobes 2(–4), triangular, 2–6 mm, apex dentate to 2-dentate, glabrous;
corolla 8–16 mm, tube light pink to purple, 5–9 mm;
galea bicolored, yellow with purple spots proximally, purple distally, 3–6.5 mm, beakless, margins 1-toothed medially and distally, apex straight to arching slightly over abaxial lip;
abaxial lip yellow to pink with purple spots, 3–8 mm.
= 32.
= 16 (Asia).
Pedicularis cystopteridifolia
Pedicularis pennellii
Pedicularis cystopteridifolia occurs only in the Rocky Mountains of Montana and Wyoming. As the specific epithet implies, the leaves strongly resemble those of the fern Cystopteris fragilis. Although not sympatric, this species could easily be misidentified as P. sudetica subsp. scopulorum, which has flowers of a similar shape and color, and leaves that are also two-pinnatifid. The secondary leaf lobes of P. cystopteridifolia, however, are much larger, longer, more deeply incised, and more heavily toothed, making them appear more finely dissected than the linear to deltate secondary and smaller toothed lobes of P. sudetica. Many of the adjacent leaf lobes of P. cystopteridifolia also overlap, whereas the lobes of P. sudetica are more widely spaced and therefore not overlapping. The galea of P. cystopteridifolia is also more highly domed and broader, and the leaves are a paler shade of green in contrast to the dark green leaves of P. sudetica subsp. scopulorum.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Pedicularis palustris and P. pennellii are extensively branched, with branching in P. pennellii more compact and subequal, making it appear shrubby. The branches of P. palustris, in contrast, become progressively shorter distally on the stem, giving the plant a pyramidal appearance.
Calder and Taylor recognized subsp. insularis by its smaller or sometimes absent apical teeth on the galea margins. Boivin subsequently reduced it to a variety. Given this minor difference, this taxon (found only on Haida Gwaii [the Queen Charlotte Islands] of British Columbia) is not recognized here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
BC
