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 December
2002
 Pedicularis
kanei ssp kanei
 November
2002
Crocus
tournefortii
October
2002
Cyclamen
mirabile
September
2002
Sternbergia
sicula
Colchicum
byzantinum album
August
2002
Gentiana
septemfida
July
2002
Oxytropis
shokanbetsuensis
June
2002
Silene
caroliniana
May
2002
Jeffersonia
dubia
April
2002
Tulipa
vvedenskyi
March
2002
Draba
aizoides
February
2002
Diapensia
lapponica
January
2002
Chamaecyparis
obtusa 'Nana'
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2003
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2001
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2000
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1999
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1998
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1997
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Plant
of the Month
December
2002
Pedicularis
kanei ssp kanei
by Iza Goroff
Pedicularis
is a genus within the Scrophulariaceae, the snapdragon
family, which also includes the genera Penstemon, Linaria,
and Veronica, including many commonly grown rock garden
plants. Pedicularis, Castilleja, and some other genera in
the family are quite different from the commonly grown
genera as they are root parasites, technically
"hemiparasites", plants who have chlorophyll and can produce
sugars, but who do not have fully functional root systems.
Instead they have specialized organs called haustoria which
latch onto the roots of host plants. Some recent DNA
evidence indicates that Pedicularis and Castilleja might
better be placed in the Orobanchaceae, the broom rape
family, whose other members do not produce chlorophyll, i.e.
are full parasites.
 Pedicularis
kanei ssp kanei, sometimes called
Pedicularis lanata or
Pedicularis lanata ssp kanei,
is a boreal alpine plant found from Greenland across arctic
North America. Other similar subspecies are native to arctic
Asia.
Pedicularis
kanei is about 4 - 6" (10 - 15 cm) tall in flower.
Its inflorescence is white-wooly. Its leaves are divided
into many pinnate segments. The flowers are about 3/4" (2
cm) long and plentiful, producing quite a show. Pedicularis
kanei is one of the major features of the alpine areas of
Flattop Mountain near Anchorage, Alaska where the photograph
was taken. (Also growing on Flattop Mountain is
Pedicularis capitata shown
below.)
In becoming
successful with most plants one must overcome few
difficulties. Plants of the genus Pedicularis are especially
difficult, since most require a host plant to attain any
size. Pedicularis kanei
presents both that problem and one peculiar to those plants
which grow near or above the Arctic Circle. Summer day
length is essentially 24 hours. Even for the few hours the
sun is below the horizon there is more than a little light.
Until we can successfully grow those Pedicularis from lower
latitudes, enjoy Pedicularis
kanei in its native environment.
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