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Photo is of parent taxon

dwarf lousewort, Great Basin lousewort

Habit Plants 4–12 cm.
Leaves

basal 6–8, blade elliptic or spatulate, 35–120 x 10–30 mm, undivided or 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping or extensively overlapping distally, entire or 1- or 2-serrate, surfaces glabrous or scattered abaxial glands;

cauline 0–4, blade elliptic, sometimes lanceolate, 20–110 x 5–30 mm, 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes overlapping distally, 1- or 2-serrate, surfaces glabrous.

Racemes

simple, 1–4, not exceeding basal leaves, each 8–14-flowered;

bracts spatulate, 40–60 x 3–6 mm, undivided proximally, undivided or 1-pinnatifid distally, proximal margins entire, distal 1- or 2-serrate, surfaces glabrous, sometimes arachnoid along main veins.

Inflorescences

bracts arachnoid and/or margins ciliate.

Pedicels

1–5 mm.

Flowers

calyx 17–22 mm, glabrous, lobes 5, narrowly triangular, 4–7 mm, apex entire or serrate, glabrous or ciliate;

corolla 28–40 mm, tube white or pale purple, 15–30 mm;

galea white or pale purple, apically sometimes dark violet to purple, 13–15 mm, beakless, margins entire medially and distally, apex arching over abaxial lip;

abaxial lip purple, 1–4 mm.

Pedicularis centranthera var. centranthera

Pedicularis centranthera

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Under pinyon pines, juniper woodlands.
Elevation 1300–2500 m. (4300–8200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; OR; UT
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; OR; UT
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

S. L. Welsh et al. (2008) reported var. centranthera from dry conifer and scrub communities including pinyon-juniper, Shepherdia, oak, serviceberry, mountain mahogany, Douglas fir, and ponderosa pine-manzanita communities.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

The leaves of Pedicularis centranthera exceed the inflorescence, giving the impression that the cauline leaves are basal. Proximalmost basal leaves are distinct: brown, membranous, and spatulate with undivided and entire margins. Pedicularis semibarbata has similar basal leaves.

Pedicularis centranthera occurs in evergreen forests, often under pinyon pine, juniper, ponderosa pine, and yellow pine.

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

Key
1. Bracts arachnoid and/or margins ciliate.
var. centranthera
1. Bracts glabrous.
var. exulans
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 519. FNA vol. 17, p. 518.
Parent taxa Orobanchaceae > Pedicularis > Pedicularis centranthera Orobanchaceae > Pedicularis
Sibling taxa
P. centranthera var. exulans
P. angustifolia, P. attollens, P. aurantiaca, P. bracteosa, P. canadensis, P. capitata, 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
Subordinate taxa
P. centranthera var. centranthera, P. centranthera var. exulans
Name authority unknown A. Gray: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 120. (1859)
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