Pedicularis attollens

Plants 15–78 cm. Leaves: basal 5–25, blade elliptic, 60–150(or 200–250) x 3–23 mm, 1- or 2-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping, serrate, surfaces glabrous or scattered glands; cauline 2–20, blade elliptic, 5–50(–100) x 1–5 mm, undivided or 1(or 2)-pinnatifid, margins of adjacent lobes nonoverlapping, serrate, surfaces glabrous. Racemes simple, 1–3, exceeding basal leaves, each 10–50-flowered; bracts lanceolate to triangular, 5–10 x 3–10 mm, pinnatifid, margins entire, surfaces glabrous or tomentose. Pedicels 1.2–1.6 mm. Flowers: calyx 4–5 mm, glabrous or tomentose, lobes 5, triangular, 2–2.5 mm, apex entire, glabrous; corolla 6–8 mm, tube pink, rarely white, 3–6 mm; galea white or pink with 2 purple spots or stripes, 1–2 mm, beaked, beak coiled, 3–6 mm, base curving, margins entire medially and distally, apex not surrounded by abaxial lip, axis of coil nearly vertical; abaxial lip pendulous, white or pink with purple stripe, 4–5.5 mm. 2n = 16.

Distribution

w United States.

Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

The flowers of Pedicularis attollens, like those of P. groenlandica, resemble an elephant’s head, and A. Heller placed them both in Elephantella. The short, upturned beak, in contrast to the long, more horizontal downturned beak of P. groenlandica, is a distinguishing feature of P. attollens. Whereas P. groenlandica occurs across much of western and arctic North America, P. attollens is found primarily in the Cascade Range of central and southern Oregon and the Sierra Nevada of California and Nevada. It is also reported from the Klamath Range to the west and the White and Sweetwater mountains and the Warner Range to the east of the Sierra Nevada.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Pedicularis attollens subsp. attollens, Pedicularis attollens subsp. protogyna

Key

1	Basal leaves 1-pinnatifid.	Pedicularis attollens subsp. attollens
1	Basal leaves 2-pinnatifid.	Pedicularis attollens subsp. protogyna