Elephant's-Head lousewort

Pedicularis groenlandica is an erect plant that can grow to a height of 60 centimetres (24 in), but may be only 10 centimetres (3.9 in) tall. It generally has 5–20 larger leaves that sprout directly from the base of the plant (basal leaves). The leaves are narrow in outline with the widest part in the middle (blade lanceolate). The leaves have a pointed tip and are 20–150 millimeters long and 5–250 millimeters wide. They strongly resemble fern leaves being divided to the leaf central leaf vein, and sometimes the leaf segments being slightly divided again (1-pinnatifid or slightly 2-pinnatifid), with the leaf edges toothed or double toothed (serrate or doubly serrate). The surfaces of the leaves are smooth (glabrous). When the leaves first emerge in the spring they are distinctly red in color, but with lengthening days an increasing amount of green chlorophyll begins to mask most of the red pigments. In addition to the basal leaves, Pedicularis groenlandica will have between 3 and 31 leaves attached the flowering stem (cauline leaves). These will also have the same blade lanceolate shape, but may be much smaller ranging in size from 10 to 150 millimeters in length and much narrower at just 1–25 millimeters in width. They also have the same feathery or fern like shape with serrate edges to the leaflets.

Flowers. …

Pedicularis groenlandica is the most widely distributed member of the genus Pedicularis in North America. This plant is found in the high mountain ranges of western North America, including the Cascades, High Sierra, Rocky Mountains, western Canada, and Alaska. It also extends its range eastward through Canada and into Greenland. In Greenland, it is only found in a single location, the same place it was originally discovered growing near Nuuk in the Eqaluit commune's Paarliit Kuussuat (Paarliit Valley) at 64°01'N. The altitude range of the species is from 600 to 3500 meters in elevation. Pedicularis groenlandica requires a cold montane, alpine tundra, boreal, or arctic tundra climate. Within these environments it strongly prefers moist habitats such as bogs, fens, marshes, forested swamps, springs, stream banks, and floodplains. In Greenland, the plant grows amid Carex bigelowii near a river bank. In the Elk Mountains of central Colorado, it was found as part of a survey of vascular plants; it grows immediately adjacent to six glacially-derived ponds and in wet meadows. Similarly, when observed in Labrador's Mealy Mountains east of Goose Bay, the plants were found growing along a lake shore and in marshy areas. It was only found in the southern part of the Yukon Territory, in the same boggy habitat of the Watson Lake area.

Conservation. …

Unlike Pedicularis bracteosa, Pedicularis procera, or Pedicularis sudetica, Pedicularis groenlandica lacks a nectar reward for pollinators. Bees visit the flowers to gather pollen and other plants for nectar rewards. Bumblebees (genus Bombus) vibrate their flight muscles while holding onto the flower to release the concealed pollen. In Colorado, three species of bumblebee workers—Bombus bifarius, Bombus melanopygus, and Bombus sylvicola—were observed visiting P. groenlandica most often. In addition, queens or workers of five other species—Bombus appositus, Bombus centralis, Bombus flavifrons, Bombus mixtus, and Bombus occidentalis—were recorded at lower frequencies of visitation. Pollinator exclusion experiments show that the flowers are not self-fertile with no fruit set on plants without pollinator access. Pedicularis groenlandica is relatively non-specific in host requirements. It has been documented parasitizing various Carex species (sedges) and Poa species (grasses), specifically Carex helleri, Carex fissuricola, Carex nigricans and also the grass Deschampsia cespitosa. Contact of the plant's roots with that of a host plant stimulates the production of haustoria to tap the host plant. The butterfly Euphydryas gillettii has been observed laying its eggs on Pedicularis groenlandica colonies in Idaho. …

Pedicularis groenlandica and other species in its genus are rarely cultivated. Live plants are not offered for commercial sale due to the difficulties in growing host-dependent parasitic plants. Most, but not all Pedicularis species are completely dependent on host species. Seeds are available commercially, as it is sometimes propagated for wetland restoration efforts in its native range. In a 2002 report, the seeds were said to be non-dormant and to sprout at 22 °C (72 °F). Later work by Jeff Evans and Dale Wick found that while a host plant is not required for the seeds to sprout, they will decline in health and eventually die without a host. Evans and Wick list the seeds as having physiological dormancy and use gibberellic acid to enhance germination. In the wild the dormancy may be broken by warm cool warm cycles. Gardens with very wet, nearly boggy, areas may grow P. groenlandica, particularly with black alpine sedge (Carex nigricans), one of its most frequent host plants.