Pedicularis is used medicinally in teas and smoking blends.[2]
Taxonomy
The common name lousewort, applied to several species, derives from an old belief that these plants, when ingested, were responsible for lice infestations in livestock.[3][4] The genus name Pedicularis is from the Latinpediculus meaning louse.[5] Over 600 species are accepted, 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 alone.[6][7]
Bombus polaris has an essential role in the pollination of the large zygomorphic flowers of Pedicularis.[9]B. polaris has a special adaption that allows it to work the spikes of Pedicularis from the bottom towards the top.[9]
↑Horn, Dennis (2005). Horn, Dennis; Cathcart, Tavia; Hemmerly, Thomas E.; Duhl, David (eds.). Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians: the official field guide of the Tennessee Native Plant Society. Auburn, WA, USA: Lone Pine Publications. p.288. ISBN978-1-55105-428-5.
↑Species accepted by the Flora of China (not detailed here; see external links for details).
