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Pedicularis rainierensis

Mt. Rainier lousewort

swamp lousewort

Habit Plants 10–40 cm. Plants 20–100 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 0;

cauline 10–30, blade lanceolate, 20–100 x 10–30 mm, 1-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping, 2-serrate, surfaces hispid.

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.

paniculate, 1, each 10–20-flowered;

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

Pedicels

1–3.5 mm.

1–1.5 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 7–12 mm, glabrous or hispid, lobes 2, trullate, ovate, elliptic, or triangular, 2.5–3.5 mm, apex serrate, glabrous, sometimes ciliate;

corolla 16–22 mm, tube white, cream, or light yellow, 8–12 mm;

galea white, cream, or light yellow, 8–12 mm, beaked, beak straight, 0.5–2.5 mm, margins entire medially and distally, apex extending over abaxial lip;

abaxial lip white, cream, or light yellow, 7–10 mm.

2n

= 16.

Pedicularis rainierensis

Pedicularis lanceolata

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Aug–Oct.
Habitat Moist alpine grassy meadows, gravelly slopes. Wet meadows, fens, springs, moist prairies, swamps.
Elevation 1200–2000 m. [3900–6600 ft.] 10–1100 m. [30–3600 ft.]
Distribution
from FNA
WA
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from FNA
AR; CT; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; MI; MN; MO; NC; ND; NE; NJ; NY; OH; PA; SD; TN; VA; WI; WV; MB; ON
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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.)

The long corolla tubes of Pedicularis lanceolata are uncharacteristically nectarless, and only late season pollen-foraging worker bumblebees pollinate this species (L. W. Macior 1969). The uniquely hinged abaxial lip covering the opening of the galea is an adaptation to allow only worker bumblebees access to the anthers, as they must learn to push it aside during foraging.

(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. 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. 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 Pennell & F. A. Warren: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 55: 317. (1928) Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 18. (1803)
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 531. Treatment author: Bruce W. Robart. FNA vol. 17, p. 525. Treatment author: Bruce W. Robart.
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