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Pedicularis densiflora

Indian warrior, warrior's plume

whorled lousewort

Habit Plants 10–50 cm. Plants 5–25 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 5–25, blade elliptic, 10–20 x 3–8 mm, 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or slightly overlapping distally, serrate, surfaces glabrous or tomentose;

cauline whorled, whorls 1 or 2, leaves per whorl 3–5, blade lanceolate, 5–30 x 3–10 mm, 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or slightly overlapping, serrate, surfaces glabrous.

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.

verticillate, 1–10, exceeding basal leaves, each 10–40-flowered;

bracts lanceolate to trullate, 4–20 x 2–5 mm, undivided or 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins serrate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely tomentose.

Pedicels

2–4 mm.

0.7–2.5 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 3.5–10 mm, glabrous or pilose, lobes 5, deltate, 0.3–1 mm, apex entire, glabrous or ciliate;

corolla 10–18 mm, tube light or dark pink, 5–8 mm;

galea light or dark pink or purple, 5–7 mm, beakless, margins entire medially and distally, apex arching slightly over abaxial lip;

abaxial lip light pink with purple veins and/or purple spots or purple with dark veins, 5–7 mm.

2n

= 16.

= 12.

Pedicularis densiflora

Pedicularis verticillata

Phenology Flowering Feb–May. Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Mixed coniferous forests. Arctic meadows and thickets, muskegs, arctic and alpine tundras.
Elevation 30–3100 m. (100–10200 ft.) 0–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; BC; NT; YT; Europe; Asia
[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.)

In the flora area, Pedicularis verticillata and P. chamissonis are the only species of Pedicularis with whorled leaves.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 521. FNA vol. 17, p. 534.
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. 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
Synonyms Pediculariopsis verticillata
Name authority Bentham: in W. J. Hooker, Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 110. (1838) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 608. (1753)
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