Kingdom Plantae Family Orobanchaceae Scientific name Pedicularis densiflora | Order Lamiales Genus Pedicularis Rank Species | |
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Similar Zornia latifolia, Dwarf skullcap, Pedicularis, Pedicularis groenlandica, Lion's ear | ||
Pedicularis densiflora, known commonly as Indian warrior or warrior's plume, is a plant of the lousewort genus in the broomrape family.
Indian Warrior is native to California and Oregon in western North America and is found in chaparral, forests, California oak woodlands at low elevations.
Description
Pedicularis densiflora is a perennial herb with stout, green or sometimes reddish or magenta stems and fern-shaped leaves, and long spikes of deep red to bright pink flowers with toothed petals.
Like others of its genus, it is a root parasitic plant, attaching to the roots of other plants to obtain nutrients and water. This species is a facultative parasite, or hemiparasite, in that it can live without attaching to another plant but will parasitize if presented with the opportunity. It often parasitizes plants of the heath family, such as manzanita.
