About Pedicularis semibarbata A.Gray
Pedicularis semibarbata A.Gray is a perennial herb that grows several stems up to 20 centimeters long from a caudex. Most of each stem is located beneath the soil, so the plant stays low to the ground. Its leaves can reach up to 20 centimeters in length, are lance-shaped, and are divided into many toothed or lobed segments. The inflorescence is a raceme of flowers, with hairy bracts and sepals surrounding the base of each flower. Every flower is hairy, yellow with red or purple tinges, club-shaped, and may grow longer than 2 centimeters. Around the middle of the flower, it is divided into a broad hooded upper lip and a three-lobed lower lip. Like many other species in the broomrape family, this lousewort is a root-parasitic plant. It taps nutrients from conifers and the lupine species Lupinus fulcratus. Some authors recognize the subtaxon Pedicularis semibarbata charlestonensis, which is endemic to Nevada.
