Pedicularis pyramidata Royle ex Benth., Scroph. Ind. 52 1835. (syn: Pedicularis coeruleo-albescens Wendelbo; Pedicularis kashmiriana Pennell; Pedicularis pectinata var. pyramidata (Royle) Hook. fil.; Pedicularis pyramidata subsp. kashmiriana (Pennell) Tsoong);
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NW-India, Afghanistan (Badakshan, Kunar / Nuristan, Orozgan / Daykundi, Parwan, Takhar), Pakistan (Hazara, Chitral, Kurram), Pakistani Kashmir (Astor, Gilgit, Baltistan, Deosai), Jammu & Kashmir (Dras, Kashmir, Ladakh, Zanskar, Poonch) as per Catalogue of Life;
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Request for Identification

Kindly identify the plant.
Date: 6th August 2011.
Location: Paddar valley district Kishtwar J&K.
Altitude: 3850 meters asl.
Plant height: 45-60 cms
Habit/Habitat: Wild herb.

Pedicularis
Close up of flower necessary for species identification


Leaves and inflated calyx suggest Pedicularis Pyramidata, but flowers wouldbe conclusive.


To me also appear close to Pedicularis pyramidata as per Type specimen attached. 1 image.


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I think looks somewhat different from images at Pedicularis pectinata


Also I could not find a match as per comparative images at Pedicularis


To me it looks closer to P. pyramidata. Needs detail studies.


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FOI image of Pedicularis pyramidata:

FOI image of Pedicularis pyramidata is not correct as per GBIF specimen:
It is something else.
Pl. check comparative images at Pedicularis
Pl. correct.

Image in FOI belongs to Pedicularis gracilis Wall. ex Benth. as per images and details herein.


Needs correction in FOI.
See correct images at Pedicularis pyramidata


Removed now.



/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Herb53%20I%20IMG_4473.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Herb53%20I2%20IMG_4474-9.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Herb53%20I%20IMG_4476.jpg
Flora of Uttarakhand- Herb53 for Id- JM : Attachments (6). 12 posts by 4 authors.
Wild Herb captured on 13/8/10 during the trek from Ghangaria (around 11,000 ft.) to Hemkunt Sahib (around 14000 ft.). 


could this be Pedicularis pyramidata….


I also think Pedicularis pyramidata not very sure


Thanks, … I think it may be Pedicularis pectinata as per details in Concise Flowers of Himalayas by Oleg Polunin & Adam Stainton as though Pedicularis pyramidata is similar, it is out of range.


Yes …, it is P. pectinata as per key in Scrophulariaceae of Western Himalayas.


Here is a image for your to rethink. The plant is on the left hand side.
Forget about the range of the species while rethinking. If a plant can be found in Himachal then it can be found in Uttarakhand too as there is not much distance.
1. Stem hairy.
2. Mid lobe of lip is much bigger than side lobes.
3. Stamens, if i am not wrong, its visible and seems to be inserted above middle.
I may be wrong though.
Attachment: TYPE PEDICULARIS PYRAMIDATA K.jpg (2 MB)

A few things to note as amply focussed by Pennel and Tibetan Medicinal Plants

Basal portion of galea as long as corolla tube (1/2 as long in P. pyramidata)
Inflorescence is shorter with few fascicles (very dense and up to 1 ft long in P. pyramidata as per FBI)
Bracts don’t conceal calyx (bracts are hairy and hide calyx according to Polunin)
Agreed the two species are very closely related, on the basis of above observations I would go with P. pectinata.

I imagine why you tend to overlook the PROTOLOGUE and TYPES !!
The sketch in the type very well matches with the plant.


A general system of gardening and botany by G. Don describes Pedicularis pectinata with glabrous stem and P. pyramidata with with pilose stem (evident in the pic).
P. pectinata with calyx short and entire and P. pyramidata with short and hairy with entire teeth (evident in the pic).
Beak in both are twisted at the apex but twice as long at galea in P. pectinata and hardly longer as galea in P. pyramidata (Evident in the pic).


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References:
Scrophulariaceae of the Western Himalayas  By Francis . Pennell (1943- Pedicularis pyramidata Royle ex Benth.)
IIIM (Pedicularis pyramidata Royle ex Benth.- specimen)
PFAF  JSTOR (Type)  Bhutan Biodiversity Portal  Useful Tropical Plants

The Plant List  (Pedicularis jainii Aswal & Mehrotra (syn: Pedicularis pyramidata Royle ex Benth. (Unresolved))