Pedicularis procera
Pedicularis cystopteridifolia
giant lousewort, Gray's lousewort
fern-leaf lousewort, fernleaf pedicularis
basal 2–4, blade lanceolate, 150–250 x 80–120 mm, 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping, entire or serrate, surfaces glabrous or hirsute;
cauline 4–10, blade triangular to lanceolate, 60–300 x 5–90 mm, undivided or 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping, 2-serrate, surfaces glabrous.
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.
simple, sometimes paniculate, 1–3, exceeding basal leaves, each 10–50-flowered;
bracts linear or narrowly lanceolate to subulate, 15–80 x 3–8 mm, undivided, proximal margins entire, distal entire or serrate, surfaces hispid to tomentose.
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.
0–1 mm.
1–3 mm.
calyx 10–15 mm, hispid to hirsute, lobes 5, triangular, 4–7 mm, apex entire, ciliate;
corolla 22–30 mm, tube light yellow, greenish yellow, or light pink, 10–15 mm;
galea light yellow, greenish yellow, or light pink, with purple to red veins, 9–15 mm, beakless, margins entire medially, 1-toothed distally, apex arching over abaxial lip;
abaxial lip light yellow or light pink, with purple veins, 9–15 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.
= 32.
= 32.
Pedicularis procera
Pedicularis cystopteridifolia
Although Pedicularis grayi A. Nelson appears in older floras, the name is superfluous and illegitimate. Pedicularis procera Adams ex Steven 1822 is invalid.
Pedicularis procera is the tallest species of Pedicularis in North America. Because the leaves closely resemble those of P. bracteosa, smaller plants can be easily mistaken for this species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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.)
SW CO Wildflowers
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
PNW Herbaria
