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Pedicularis densiflora

Indian warrior, warrior's plume

Howell lousewort, Howell's lousewort, Howell's pedicularis

Habit Plants 10–50 cm. Plants 15–40 cm.
Leaves

basal 1–10, blade lanceolate, 30–200 x 20–70 mm, 2(or 3)-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or extensively overlapping distally, 1-serrate, surfaces glabrous, hispid, or downy;

cauline 4–20, blade lanceolate, 15–250 x 5–100 mm, 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or extensively overlapping distally, serrate, surfaces glabrous, hispid, or downy.

basal 1–4, blade elliptic to lanceolate, 20–60 x 15–40 mm, undivided or 1-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or slightly overlapping distally, serrate, surfaces glabrous;

cauline 10–12, blade ovate to lanceolate, 25–60 x 15–40 mm, undivided or 1-pinnatifid, sometimes auricled, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or slightly overlapping distally, entire or serrate to crenate, surfaces glabrous or scattered woolly along main vein.

Racemes

simple, 1–5, exceeding basal leaves, each 10–50-flowered;

bracts lanceolate to trullate, 10–35 x 3–5 mm, undivided or 1-pinnatifid, proximal margins entire, distal 1- or 2-serrate, surfaces glabrous.

simple, 1–8, exceeding basal leaves, each 15–40-flowered;

bracts trullate to cordate, 6–8 x 4–8 mm, undivided, proximal margins entire, distal entire, surfaces glabrous or tomentose.

Pedicels

2–4 mm.

2.5–3 mm.

Flowers

calyx 9–18 mm, downy to tomentose, lobes 5, triangular, 3–4 mm, apex entire, ciliate;

corolla 23–43 mm, tube dark red, purple, or orange-yellow, rarely white, 8–18 mm;

galea dark red, purple, or orange-yellow, rarely white, 15–25 mm, beakless, margins entire medially and distally, apex straight;

abaxial lip dark red, purple, or orange-yellow, rarely white, 8–15 mm.

calyx 6–6.5 mm, tomentose, lobes 5, triangular, 1.5–2 mm, apex entire, ciliate;

corolla 10–13 mm, tube white, 6–8 mm;

galea white, apically sometimes tinged with red to violet, 3.5–5 mm, beaked, beak straight, 1–2 mm, margins entire medially and distally, apex extending beyond abaxial lip;

abaxial lip white, 1.5–2 mm.

2n

= 16.

Pedicularis densiflora

Pedicularis howellii

Phenology Flowering Feb–May. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Mixed coniferous forests. Alpine forest clearings and edges.
Elevation 30–3100 m. (100–10200 ft.) 1100–2000.
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Scarlet corollas with an undomed, toothless galea and two- or three-pinnatifid leaves are diagnostic of Pedicularis densiflora. This species occurs in forested subalpine regions of southern Oregon, western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, and the Coast Ranges of California south to Baja California. Herbarium records indicate northern populations of P. densiflora occur at higher elevations than do more southern populations.

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

Pedicularis howellii is found in the Siskiyou Mountains along the California/Oregon border; it has undivided distal leaves. The division of the proximal leaves into irregular and asymmetric lobes, sometimes appearing auricled, is a unique feature of this species.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 521. FNA vol. 17, p. 523.
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. contorta, P. crenulata, P. cystopteridifolia, 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. 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
Name authority Bentham: in W. J. Hooker, Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 110. (1838) A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 20: 307. (1885)
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