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Pedicularis rainierensis

Mt. Rainier lousewort

lousewort, redrattle

Habit Plants 10–40 cm. Plants 3–10 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 2–7, blade elliptic, 9–20 x 4–7 mm, 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or slightly overlapping distally, dentate, surfaces glabrous;

cauline 2–6, blade elliptic to triangular, 5–16 x 1–5 mm, 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or slightly overlapping, dentate, surfaces glabrous.

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 2–10-flowered;

bracts trullate to triangular, 3–15 x 6–11 mm, 2-pinnatifid, margins serrate, surfaces glabrous.

Pedicels

1–3.5 mm.

0.7–3 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 9–14 mm, glabrous, lobes 5, triangular, 1.5–3.5 mm, apex pinnatifid, entire, glabrous;

corolla 24–30 mm, tube pink, 15–25 mm;

galea pink, 7–11 mm, beakless, margins entire medially, 1-toothed distally, apex arching slightly over abaxial lip;

abaxial lip pink, 5.5–9 mm.

2n

= 16 (Europe).

Pedicularis rainierensis

Pedicularis sylvatica

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Moist alpine grassy meadows, gravelly slopes. Wet meadows.
Elevation 1200–2000 m. [3900–6600 ft.] 30–80 m. [100–260 ft.]
Distribution
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NF; Europe [Introduced in North America]
[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 sylvatica is considered by L. Brouillet et al. (http://data.canadensys.net/vascan/) to be introduced in the flora area.

(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. 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. verticillata
Name authority Pennell & F. A. Warren: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 55: 317. (1928) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 607. (1753)
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 531. Treatment author: Bruce W. Robart. FNA vol. 17, p. 534. Treatment author: Bruce W. Robart.
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