Pedicularis Bracteosa, Bracted Lousewort

Day 290: If not as colourful as the Indian Paintbrush of the subalpine meadows, the Louseworts nevertheless put on a good show in shades of yellow, creamy white and purple. They also present something the Paintbrushes lack: a variety of flower shapes. The corollas of these species are characterized by two lips, upper and lower. In some, the upper lip forms an elongated hood-like structure (the galea) which covers and surrounds the stamens, a specialization factor which permits them to be fertilized only by select pollinators. The galea may terminate in a short beak as in the case of Bracted Lousewort show here, or it may form a coil (Coiled-beak Lousewort) or even an "elephant's trunk" (Elephant-head Pedicularis). Eight species and sub-species are known to occur in Mount Rainier National Park.