Pedicularis semibarbata, known by the common name pinewoods lousewort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae.
| Pedicularis semibarbata | |
|---|---|
| |
| ssp. charlestonensis | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Orobanchaceae |
| Genus: | Pedicularis |
| Species: | P. semibarbata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Pedicularis semibarbata | |
It is native to California and Nevada. It can often be found in coniferous forests of the Peninsular Ranges, Sierra Nevada, and Transverse Ranges.
Description
editPedicularis semibarbata is a perennial herb producing several stems up to 20 centimeters long from a caudex, but most of the stem is beneath the soil and the plant is low on the ground. The leaves are up to 20 centimeters long, lance-shaped shape and divided into many toothed or lobed segments.
The inflorescence is a raceme of flowers with hairy bracts and sepals surrounding the flower bases. Each hairy red- or purple-tinged yellow flower is club-shaped and may exceed 2 centimeters in length. Toward the middle it is divided into a broad hooded upper lip and a three-lobed lower lip.
- Parasitic plant
Like many species in the broomrape family, the lousewort is a root-parasite. This species taps nutrients from conifers and the lupine Lupinus fulcratus.[1]
Some authors recognize the Pedicularis semibarbata subtaxon charlestonensis, which is endemic to Nevada.[2]
References
edit- ^ Stermitz, F. R., et al. (1989). Quinolizidine alkaloids obtained by Pedicularis semibarbata (Scrophulariaceae) from Lupinus fulcratus (Leguminosae) fail to influence the specialist herbivore Euphydryas editha (Lepidoptera). Journal of Chemical Ecology 15:11 2521-30.
- ^ Nevada Natural Heritage Program Rare Plant Fact Sheet
External links
edit
- Jepson Manual Treatment: Pedicularis semibarbata
- USDA Plants Profile — Pedicularis semibarbata
- Pedicularis semibarbata — UC Photo gallery
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