Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Pedicularis semibarbata is a species of flowering plant in the broomrape family known by the common name pinewoods lousewort. It is native to California and Nevada, where it can often be found in coniferous forests. This 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 flower cluster is a raceme of flowers with hairy leafs 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. Like many species in the broomrape family, the lousewort is a root-parasite. This species taps nutrients from conifers and the lupine Lupinus fulcratus.

Plant type

Perennial herb

Size

8 in Tall

Sun

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Site type

Dry ridges

Plant communities

Lodgepole Forest, Red Fir Forest, Subalpine Forest, Yellow Pine Forest

Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

1 confirmed and 3 likely

Confirmed Likely

Edith's Checkerspot

Euphydryas editha

Geranium Plume Moth

Amblyptilia pica

Anicia Checkerspot

Euphydryas anicia

Variable Checkerspot

Euphydryas chalcedona