The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links
Pedicularis rainierensis

Mt. Rainier lousewort

Indian warrior

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

basal 2–5, blade lanceolate, 40–80 x 3–20 mm, 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or slightly overlapping distally, serrate to 2-serrate, surfaces glabrous;

cauline 2–6, blade lanceolate, 15–70 x 5–20 mm, 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or slightly overlapping distally, serrate, surfaces glabrous.

basal 1–10, blade lanceolate, 30–200 x 20–70 mm, 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or extensively overlapping distally, 1-serrate, surfaces glabrous, hispid, or downy, abaxial veins 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 or hispid to downy.

Racemes

simple, 1–4, exceeding basal leaves, each 10–50-flowered;

bracts lanceolate or subulate to trullate, 10–15 x 1–2 mm, undivided or pinnatifid, proximal margins entire, distal serrate, surfaces glabrous or tomentose.

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

bracts lanceolate, 10–35 x 3–5 mm, undivided to pinnatifid distally, proximal margins entire, surfaces glabrous.

Pedicels

1–3.5 mm.

2–4 mm.

Flowers

calyx 7.5–11 mm, hispid to tomentose, lobes 5, linear to narrowly triangular, 4–5 mm, apex entire, glabrous or ciliate;

corolla 16–19 mm, tube light or dark yellow, 8–10 mm;

galea light or dark yellow, 8–9 mm, beakless, margins entire medially and distally, apex arching beyond abaxial lip;

abaxial lip light or dark yellow, 4–5 mm.

calyx 12–24 mm, downy, lobes 5, narrowly triangular, 5.5–7.5 mm, apex entire, ciliate;

corolla 23–43 mm, tube dark red, purple, or orange-yellow, 9–17 mm;

galea dark red, purple, or orange-yellow, 14–26 mm, beakless, margins entire medially and distally, apex straight;

abaxial lip dark red, purple, or orange-yellow, 3–7 mm.

Pedicularis rainierensis

Pedicularis aurantiaca

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Moist alpine grassy meadows, gravelly slopes. Mixed coniferous forests.
Elevation 1200–2000 m. [3900–6600 ft.] 600–2100 m. [2000–6900 ft.]
Distribution
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Pedicularis rainierensis is known from Mt. Rainier and the Crystal Mountain area. The species is easily confused with P. bracteosa var. latifolia, which often occurs in the same meadows. While the sizes and shapes of their flowers are nearly indistinguishable, P. rainierensis is a much smaller plant with leaves only about three fourths the size, proximal leaf lobes less than one fifth the size, inflorescences about one half the length, and the number of flowers greatly reduced in comparison to those of P. bracteosa var. latifolia.

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

Pedicularis aurantiaca is distinguished from P. densiflora by smaller abaxial lip lobes and longer calyces.

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

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. 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. semibarbata, P. sudetica, P. sylvatica, P. verticillata
P. angustifolia, P. attollens, 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, P. verticillata
Synonyms P. densiflora subsp. aurantiaca
Name authority Pennell & F. A. Warren: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 55: 317. (1928) (E. F. Sprague) Monfils & Prather: Madroño 54: 311. (2008)
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 531. Treatment author: Bruce W. Robart. FNA vol. 17, p. 514. Treatment author: Bruce W. Robart.
Web links