lousewort

/lows"werrt', -wawrt'/, n.

any plant belonging to the genus Pedicularis, of the figwort family, as the wood betony, formerly supposed to cause lice in sheep feeding on it: one species, P. furbishiae (Furbish lousewort), of parts of Maine and New Brunswick, Canada, having finely toothed leaves and a cluster of yellow flowers, is endangered and was thought to be extinct until specimens were discovered in 1946 and again in 1976.

[1570-80; LOUSE + WORT²]

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Any of about 500 species of herbaceous plants that make up the genus Pedicularis in the snapdragon family.

The lousewort is found throughout the Northern Hemisphere but especially on the mountains of central and eastern Asia. The bilaterally symmetrical flowers sometimes have very unusual shapes. The flowers of the little elephant (P. groenlandica), for example, resemble the head, trunk, and ears of an elephant. Louseworts are semiparasitic on the roots of other plants.

Lousewort (Pedicularis lanceolata)

Kitty Kohout from Root Resources

EB Inc.

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▪ plant

 herbaceous plant of the genus Pedicularis (in the broomrape family, Orobanchaceae), which contains about 350 species found throughout the Northern Hemisphere but especially on the mountains of Central and eastern Asia. Louseworts have bilaterally symmetrical flowers, sometimes highly irregular. For example, the little elephant (P. groenlandica) presents the aspect of head, trunk, and ears of an elephant in its pink flowers, which are 2.5 cm (1 inch) long.

      The plants are semiparasitic on the roots of other plants. For this reason they are difficult to cultivate in the home garden.

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