Pedicularis sylvatica

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Common lousewort
Waldlausekraut (Pedicularis sylvatica)@04.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Orobanchaceae
Genus: Pedicularis
Species:
P. sylvatica
Binomial name
Pedicularis sylvatica

Pedicularis sylvatica, commonly known as common lousewort, [2] 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 marshes. [3]

Contents

Description

This is a compact biennial herb with a semi-erect stem up to 15 cm (6 in) tall. The leaves are opposite, with short stalks, rather thick and often tinged pink or purple. The leaf blades are small, triangular-lanceolate to linear, with pinnate lobes and toothed margins. The inflorescence is a raceme with usually four to six flowers open at a time. Each bilaterally symmetrical flower has a large, rounded, five-angled pinkish calyx, the four lobes being tipped with teeth, which can easily be observed before the flower has opened. The flower is pinkish-purple with white markings in the throat, and up to 2.5 cm (1 in) in length. The five petals are fused into a tube, the upper lip is curved into a hood, having two teeth at the tip. The lower lip is divided into three lobes. [2] [4] This species can be distinguished from marsh lousewort (Pedicularis palustris) by being smaller and less erect and having two small teeth at the tip of the upper lip rather than four. [2]

Distribution and habitat

Illustration from book Deutschlands Flora in Abbildungen Pedicularis sylvatica Sturm54.jpg
Illustration from book Deutschlands Flora in Abbildungen

Common lousewort is found in most of Europe, apart from the southeast. In the British Isles it occurs on damp acidic soils in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, northern and southwestern England, and in scattered locations elsewhere in England, at altitudes up to about 915 m (3,000 ft). Typical habitats include moorland, wet flushes in mountainous areas, grassy heathland, lakesides and the drier parts of marshes and bogs. [3]

Ecology

The origin of the common name is that there was a belief in times past that livestock that ate this plant would acquire lice as a consequence. [5] Like other members of the genus, common lousewort is semi-parasitic, supplementing its own resources by connecting its roots to those of nearby plants and extracting water and nutrients for its own use. [5]

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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 perennial herb producing several stems up to 80 centimetres (31 in) tall, greenish to dark red in color. The leaves are up to 10 centimetres (4 in) long, linear in shape and lined with teeth. The inflorescence is a small raceme of flowers occupying the top of the stem. Each white to light purple or yellow flower is up to 1.6 centimetres long and is divided into a curved or coiled beak-like upper lip and a wide three-lobed lower lip. The fruit is a capsule over a centimeter in length containing smooth seeds.

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<i>Pedicularis palustris</i> Species of flowering plant

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 Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of least concern.

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<i>Pedicularis bracteosa</i> Perennial plant

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 1 meter high. Its flowers form in densely clustered spike raceme, and range in color from yellow to bronze to red to purple. Its distribution is found in western North America including New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, mountainous parts of Washington and California, and in British Columbia.

References

  1. Hassler, M. (2020). "Pedicularis sylvatica L." World Plants: World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World. ITIS Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Farmer, Carl. "Common Lousewort: Pedicularis sylvatica". West Highland Flora. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Pedicularis sylvatica". Online Atlas of the British and Irish flora. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  4. "Lousewort: Pedicularis sylvatica". Wild Flowers. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Pedicularis sylvatica L.: Lousewort". NBN Atlas. Retrieved 29 January 2020.