Species: Pedicularis groenlandica ssp. groenlandica Retz.

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Pedicularis groenlandica ssp. groenlandica Retz.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Scrophulariaceae

Genus:

Pedicularis

Species Synonyms:

none

Common Names:

elephant’s head
little red elephant-head
bull elephant-head
little red elephants

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southeastern Yukon – British Columbia – Alberta – east-central Saskatchewan, northeastern Manitoba – northern Ontario – Ungava – Labrador – Quebec

Saskatchewan:

central Saskatchewan; Edam – Leoville – Shellbrook

Ecoregion:

Boreal Transition, Mid-Boreal Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

moist fens, sedge-meadows, open coniferous woods, and muskegs

Associated Species:

fen grass of Parnassus, hair sedge

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G4G5 S1S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Elephant’s head is threatened because of rarity in Saskatchewan. This species is regionally restricted and local populations can be small. No immediate threats are known but may occur in the future.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

30 – 50 cm

Stems:

often clustered, erect, simple, hairless, may be reddish-purple

Leaves:

stalked or the upper ones sessile, 5 – 20 cm long, outline lance-shaped, hairless, deeply lobed, divisions narrow and toothed

Inflorescence:

unbranched, terminal, dense, 3 – 15 cm long, flowers sessile

Flowers:

sepals 5-lobed; petals 2-lipped, reddish purple or pinkish, beak curved outward and upward, upper lip resembling an elephant head, lower lip 3-lobed; stamens 4, in two groups of two

Fruits:

capsule many-seeded

PEDICULARIS KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Beak of upper lip curved upward and outward resembling an elephant head; stem simple	P. groenlandica ssp. groenlandica
1 Upper lip not beaked; stem branched	2

2 Flowers in a short spike or flowers solitary in leaf axils; flowers purple	P. macrodonta
2 Flowers in few-flowered spikes; flowers yellow	P. labradorica