''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 '' sensu lato'').

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 acc ...

'' *''

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 acc ...

'' *''

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 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 bhutanomuscoides'' *'' Pedicularis brachyodonta'' *'' Pedicularis bracteosa'' (fern-leaf, towering, or bracted lousewort) *'' Pedicularis cacuminidenta'' *'' Pedicularis canadensis'' (Canadian lousewort) *'' Pedicularis centranthera'' *'' Pedicularis comosa'' *'' Pedicularis compacta'' *'' Pedicularis contorta'' (coiled lousewort or white-coiled beak lousewort) *''

Pedicularis dasyantha ''Pedicularis dasyantha'', the woolly lousewort or arctic hairy lousewort, is a plant native to the high arctic areas of Svalbard, Novaya Zemlya and the bordering mainland, and the western Taymyr Peninsula. In Svalbard it is restricted to the ma ...

'' (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 acc ...

'' *''

Pedicularis densiflora ''Pedicularis densiflora'', known commonly as Indian warrior or warrior's plume, is a plant in the family Orobanchaceae. Indian warrior is native to California and Oregon in western North America and is found in chaparral, forests, California oa ...

'' (Indian warrior) *'' Pedicularis dhurensis'' *''

Pedicularis dudleyi ''Pedicularis dudleyi'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae known by the common name Dudley's lousewort. It is endemic to central California, where it is known from about ten scattered occurrences along the coast and ...

'' (Dudley's lousewort) *'' Pedicularis elegans'' *'' Pedicularis elephantiflora'' *'' Pedicularis elongata'' *'' Pedicularis exaltata'' *'' Pedicularis ferdinandi'' *''

Pedicularis flammea ''Pedicularis flammea'' is a species of flowering plant belonging to 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 ...

'' (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 acc ...

'' (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 acc ...

'' *'' Pedicularis heterodonta'' *''

Pedicularis hirsuta ''Pedicularis hirsuta'', commonly known as Hairy Lousewort, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Orobanchaceae. Its native range is Subarctic The subarctic zone is a region in the Northern Hemisphere immediately south o ...

'' (hairy lousewort) *'' Pedicularis howellii'' (Howell's lousewort) *''

Pedicularis julica ''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 acc ...

'' *''

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'' 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 acc ...

'' *''

Pedicularis lanata ''Pedicularis lanata'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae. It is native to Canada and Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) ...

'' *''

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 acc ...

'' *''

Pedicularis lapponica ''Pedicularis lapponica'', the Lapland lousewort, is a perennial hemiparasitic species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae with yellow to creme coloured flowers. Description The plant has an unbranched (or very rarely branched) stem ...

'' (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 acc ...

'' *''

Pedicularis limnogena ''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 acc ...

'' *'' Pedicularis mixta'' *'' Pedicularis oederi'' (crimson-tipped lousewort) *'' Pedicularis ornithorhyncha'' (duck's-bill/bird's-beak lousewort) *'' Pedicularis orthantha'' *'' Pedicularis oxycarpa'' *''

Pedicularis palustris ''Pedicularis palustris'', commonly known as marsh lousewort or red rattle, is a plant species in the family Orobanchaceae. It is native to central and northern Europe and Asia where it grows in wetlands and boggy habitats. The International Unio ...

'' (marsh lousewort) *'' Pedicularis parryi'' (Parry's lousewort) *'' Pedicularis pectinata'' *''

Pedicularis petiolaris ''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 acc ...

'' *'' Pedicularis physocalyx'' *'' Pedicularis portenschlagii'' *'' Pedicularis procera'' (giant lousewort) *''

Pedicularis pyrenaica ''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 acc ...

'' *'' Pedicularis racemosa'' (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 acc ...

'' *'' 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'' 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 acc ...

'' *'' Pedicularis rostratocapitata'' *''

Pedicularis rostratospicata ''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 acc ...

'' *''

Pedicularis sceptrum-carolinum ''Pedicularis sceptrum-carolinum'', commonly known as moor-king or moor-king lousewort, is a plant species in the genus '' Pedicularis''. References ---- sceptrum-carolinum Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Plants described in 1753 {{ ...

'' (Moor-king lousewort) *'' Pedicularis schizocalyx'' *''

Pedicularis semibarbata ''Pedicularis semibarbata'', known by the common name pinewoods lousewort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae. It is native to California and Nevada. It can often be found in coniferous forests of the Peninsular Ranges, ...

'' (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'' (common lousewort) *''

Pedicularis tuberosa ''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 uralensis ''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 verticillata'' (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 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