Pedicularis canadensis

Wood Betony, Lousewort

[ click on any image below to see larger version ]

Family: Orobanchaceae

Mid-Atlantic bloom time: April - May
Mid-Atlantic fruit ripe: May - July

Wood Betony's genus name Pedicularis is derived from pediculus, meaning louse. This is reflected in its alternative common name "Lousewort", which comes from the old belief that animals grazing on it would become infested with lice ("wort" is just an old English word for plant).

Wood Betony is hemiparasitic, meaning that it is partially dependent on other plants for nutrients and water. It accomplishes this through tissue connections that develop between the roots of the wood betony and its host plants. Because its habitat and range is so diverse, the host plants have not been definitively identified.

1 May 2016 Leopold's Preserve, Haymarket, VA	16 May 2012 Appalachian Trail near Skyland in Shenandoah National Park (Central District), VA	16 May 2012 Appalachian Trail near Skyland in Shenandoah National Park (Central District), VA	1 May 2016 Leopold's Preserve, Haymarket, VA
1 May 2016 Leopold's Preserve, Haymarket, VA (looking down at inflorescence)	21 June 2014 Appalachian Trail near Skyland in Shenandoah National Park (Central District), VA (post bloom)	21 June 2014 Appalachian Trail near Skyland in Shenandoah National Park (Central District), VA (post bloom)

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