''Pedicularis bracteosa'' also known as bracted lousewort
is a flowering
deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
plant with alternating cauline leaves that are linear/oblong to
lanceolate
The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...
, approximately 1 to 7 cm long. It has fibrous roots and grows to approximately 1 meter high. Its flowers form in densely clustered spike
raceme
A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...
, and range in color from yellow to bronze to red to purple. Its distribution is found in western North America including New Mexico,
Colorado, Montana,
mountainous parts of Washington
and California,
and in British Columbia.
Historically, the leaves have been used as an alternative treatment for skeletal muscle relaxation.
Gallery
File:Pedicularis bracteosa - Flickr - aspidoscelis (4).jpg, ''Pedicularis bracteosa'' leaf structure
File:Pedicularis bracteosa - Flickr - aspidoscelis (2).jpg, ''Pedicularis bracteosa'' flower detail
File:Pedicularis bracteosa - Paradise, Mount Rainier, August 2014 - 02.jpg, ''Pedicularis bracteosa'' in flower
File:Mary Vaux Walcott - Pedicularis bracteosa - 1970.355.72 - Smithsonian American Art Museum.jpg, Mary Vaux Walcott, c.1917
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q17715523
bracteosa
Parasitic plants