Pedicularis crenulata

Plants 10–40 cm. Leaves: basal 8–10, blade narrowly elliptic to linear, 15–40 x 3–6 mm, undivided, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping, 2-crenate, surfaces glabrous; cauline 10–40, blade linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 10–60 x 2–6 mm, undivided, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping, 2-crenate, surfaces glabrous. Racemes simple, 1–10, exceeding basal leaves, each 10–50-flowered; bracts triangular or lanceolate to oblanceolate, 10–15 x 3–4 mm, undivided, proximal margins entire, distal crenate to 2-crenate, surfaces glabrous. Pedicels 3–3.5 mm. Flowers: calyx 8.5–11 mm, hirsute along veins or glabrous, lobes 2, triangular, 0.5–1 mm, apex entire, glabrous or ciliate; corolla 20–26 mm, tube light pink, rarely white, 12–15 mm; galea reddish violet, sometimes white, 8–11 mm, beakless, margins entire medially, 1-toothed distally, apex arching over abaxial lip; abaxial lip reddish violet, sometimes white, 4–8 mm.

Phenology: Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat: Moist grassy, sagebrush basins, alpine meadows.
Elevation: 1500–3200 m.

Calif., Colo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.Mex., Wyo.

Discussion

Pedicularis crenulata is abundant in moist swales of alpine to subalpine sagebrush meadows of the mid to southern Rocky Mountains, as well as California and Nevada, where large populations with their reddish violet flowers create a distinctive swath across the otherwise green landscape. The undivided, nearly linear leaves with two-crenate margins are unique among North American species of Pedicularis. The galea bears a single apical tooth on each abaxial margin at the distal tip. Other species with the combination of two calyx lobes and undivided, linear to nearly linear leaves are P. angustifolia and P. racemosa.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa