''Pedicularis'' is a genus of

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

green root parasite plants currently placed in the family

Orobanchaceae Orobanchaceae, the broomrapes, is a family of mostly parasitic plants of the order Lamiales, with about 90 genera and more than 2000 species. Many of these genera (e.g., ''Pedicularis'', ''Rhinanthus'', ''Striga'') were formerly included in the ...

(the genus previously having been placed in

Scrophulariaceae The Scrophulariaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the figwort family. The plants are annual and perennial herbs, as well as shrubs. Flowers have bilateral (zygomorphic) or rarely radial (actinomorphic) symmetry. The Scr ...

sensu lato ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...

'').

Description

Between 350 and 600 species are accepted by different authorities, mostly from the wetter northern temperate zones, as well as from South America. The highest diversity is in eastern Asia, with 352 species accepted in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

alone.

Taxonomy

The common name lousewort, applied to several species, derives from an old belief that these plants, when ingested, were responsible for

lice Louse ( : lice) is the common name for any member of the clade Phthiraptera, which contains nearly 5,000 species of wingless parasitic insects. Phthiraptera has variously been recognized as an order, infraorder, or a parvorder, as a result o ...

infestations in livestock. The genus name ''Pedicularis'' is from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''pediculus'' meaning louse.

Selected species

*''

Pedicularis acaulis ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae '' sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are acce ...

'' *''

Pedicularis amoena ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae '' sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are acce ...

'' *''

Pedicularis arguteserrata ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are accep ...

'' *''

Pedicularis ascendens ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are accep ...

'' *''

Pedicularis asparagoides ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are accep ...

'' *''

Pedicularis asplenifolia ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of Perennial plant, perennial green Parasitic plant, root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato''). Description Betw ...

'' *''

Pedicularis attollens ''Pedicularis attollens'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae known by the common name little elephant's head lousewort. It is native to Oregon and California, where it grows in moist mountainous areas such as meadows and ...

'' (little elephant's head) *''

Pedicularis baumgartenii ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae '' sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are acce ...

'' *''

Pedicularis bhutanomuscoides ''Pedicularis bhutanomuscoides'' is a species of flowering plant endemic to Bhutan. It occurs on open slopes with ''Rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of ab ...

'' *''

Pedicularis brachyodonta ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are accep ...

'' *''

Pedicularis bracteosa ''Pedicularis bracteosa'' also known as bracted lousewort is a flowering deciduous perennial plant with alternating cauline leaves that are linear/oblong to lanceolate, approximately 1 to 7 cm long. It has fibrous roots and grows to approximately ...

'' (fern-leaf, towering, or bracted lousewort) *''

Pedicularis cacuminidenta ''Pedicularis cacuminidenta'' is a species of flowering plant endemic to Bhutan Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the ...

'' *''

Pedicularis canadensis ''Pedicularis canadensis'', commonly called Canadian lousewort or wood betony,Pedicularis centranthera ''Pedicularis centranthera'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae known by the common names dwarf lousewort and Great Basin lousewort. It is native to the western United States from eastern Oregon and California to Colorado ...

'' *''

Pedicularis comosa ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are accep ...

'' *''

Pedicularis compacta ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are accep ...

'' *''

Pedicularis contorta ''Pedicularis contorta'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae known by the common names coiled lousewort and curved-beak lousewort. It is native to western North America, including southwestern Canada and the northwestern U ...

'' (coiled lousewort or white-coiled beak lousewort) *'' Pedicularis dasyantha'' (woolly lousewort) *''

Pedicularis dasystachys ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are accep ...

'' *'' Pedicularis densiflora'' (Indian warrior) *'' Pedicularis dhurensis'' *'' Pedicularis dudleyi'' (Dudley's lousewort) *'' Pedicularis elegans'' *'' Pedicularis elephantiflora'' *'' Pedicularis elongata'' *'' Pedicularis exaltata'' *''

Pedicularis ferdinandi ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are accep ...

'' *'' Pedicularis flammea'' (redrattle) *''

Pedicularis foliosa ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are accep ...

'' (leafy lousewort) *''

Pedicularis furbishiae ''Pedicularis furbishiae'', or Furbish's lousewort, is a perennial herb found only on the shores of the upper Saint John River in Maine and New Brunswick. Furbish's lousewort was first recognized as a new species by Maine naturalist and botanic ...

'' (Furbish's lousewort) *'' Pedicularis friderici-augusti'' *'' Pedicularis graeca'' *''

Pedicularis groenlandica ''Pedicularis groenlandica'' is a showy flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae which is known by the common names elephant's head, elephant-head lousewort and butterfly tongue. This erect plant can grow to a height of . Its sharply-toothed ...

'' (elephant's head) *'' Pedicularis gyroflexa'' *''

Pedicularis hacquetii ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are accep ...

'' *'' Pedicularis heterodonta'' *'' Pedicularis hirsuta'' (hairy lousewort) *''

Pedicularis howellii ''Pedicularis howellii'' is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae known by the common name Howell's lousewort. It is endemic to the Siskiyou Mountains of the Klamath Range in southern Oregon and northern California, w ...

'' (Howell's lousewort) *'' Pedicularis julica'' *''

Pedicularis kaufmannii ''Pedicularis kaufmannii'' is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Orobanchaceae. It is native to Eurasia. References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10989410 Pedicularis, kaufmannii ...

'' *'' Pedicularis kerneri'' *'' Pedicularis labradorica'' *'' Pedicularis lanata'' *''

Pedicularis lanceolata ''Pedicularis lanceolata'', the swamp lousewort, is a species of flowering plant native to the Midwestern and Northeastern United States and southern Canada. It is most often found in base-rich wetlands such as fens, springs, and wet meadow A we ...

'' *''

Pedicularis langsdorfii ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are accep ...

'' *'' Pedicularis lapponica'' (Lapland lousewort) *''

Pedicularis leucodon ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae '' sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are acce ...

'' *'' Pedicularis limnogena'' *''

Pedicularis mixta ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are accep ...

'' *'' Pedicularis oederi'' (crimson-tipped lousewort) *'' Pedicularis ornithorhyncha'' (duck's-bill/bird's-beak lousewort) *'' Pedicularis orthantha'' *'' Pedicularis oxycarpa'' *'' Pedicularis palustris'' (marsh lousewort) *'' Pedicularis parryi'' (Parry's lousewort) *'' Pedicularis pectinata'' *'' Pedicularis petiolaris'' *'' Pedicularis physocalyx'' *'' Pedicularis portenschlagii'' *'' Pedicularis procera'' (giant lousewort) *'' Pedicularis pyrenaica'' *''

Pedicularis racemosa ''Pedicularis racemosa'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae known by the common names sickletop lousewort and leafy lousewort. It is native to western North America, where it grows in coniferous forests. This is a perenni ...

'' (sickle-top lousewort, parrot's beak) *''

Pedicularis rainierensis ''Pedicularis rainierensis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae commonly known as Mount Rainier lousewort. It is endemic to the vicinity of Mount Rainier in Washington state. The Mount Rainier lousewort has a imperiled s ...

'' (

Mount Rainier Mount Rainier (), indigenously known as Tahoma, Tacoma, Tacobet, or təqʷubəʔ, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With a s ...

lousewort) *''

Pedicularis recutita ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae '' sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are acce ...

'' *'' Pedicularis resupinata'' *''

Pedicularis rex ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are accep ...

'' *'' Pedicularis rosea'' *'' Pedicularis rostratocapitata'' *'' Pedicularis rostratospicata'' *''

Pedicularis sceptrum-carolinum ''Pedicularis sceptrum-carolinum'', commonly known as moor-king or moor-king lousewort, is a plant species in the genus ''Pedicularis ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobancha ...

'' (Moor-king lousewort) *'' Pedicularis schizocalyx'' *'' Pedicularis semibarbata'' (pinewoods lousewort) *'' Pedicularis sibthorpii'' *''

Pedicularis sudetica ''Pedicularis sudetica'', common names of which are fernweed, Sudeten lousewort, Sedetic lousewort, and Sudetic lousewort is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae which is native to Poland, the former Czechoslovakia, and northe ...

'' (fernweed, Sudeten lousewort or Sedetic lousewort) *''

Pedicularis sylvatica ''Pedicularis sylvatica'', commonly known as common lousewort, is a plant species in the genus ''Pedicularis''. It is native to central and northern Europe where it grows on moist acidic soils, moorland, grassy heathland and the drier parts of ma ...

'' (common lousewort) *'' Pedicularis tuberosa'' *'' Pedicularis uralensis'' *''

Pedicularis verticillata ''Pedicularis verticillata'', the whorled lousewort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae which can be found in Alaska, North-Western Canada, and everywhere in China at the elevation of . Its native habitats include moist m ...

'' (verticillate lousewort)

Pollination

Bombus polaris ''Bombus polaris'' is a common Arctic bumblebee species. ''B. polaris'' is one of two bumblebees that live above the Arctic Circle. The other is its social parasite ''Bombus hyperboreus''. ''B. polaris'' is a social bee that can survive at near f ...

'' has an essential role in the pollination of the large

zygomorphic Floral symmetry describes whether, and how, a flower, in particular its perianth, can be divided into two or more identical or mirror-image parts. Uncommonly, flowers may have no axis of symmetry at all, typically because their parts are spirall ...

flowers of ''Pedicularis''. ''B. polaris'' has a special adaption that allows it to work the spikes of ''Pedicularis'' from the bottom towards the top.

References

Flora Europaea: ''Pedicularis''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q129016 Orobanchaceae genera Parasitic plants Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus