Pedicularis oederi : Oeder's Lousewort

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)

Genera: Pedicularis (Lousewort, Fernweed) (Lat. pediculus = a louse; animals who ate these plants were said to be protected from lice.)

Species: oederi (named for Georg Christian Oeder, 1728-91, Professor of botany, Copenhagen)

English Name(s):

Oeder's Lousewort, Oeder's Fernweed

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• Plants herbaceous (not woody).
• From spindle-shaped roots.
• Stems 4-25cm tall, villose (fury)- tomentose (woolly) to glabrate (almost hairless).

Leaves:

• Sometimes all basal, alternate when cauline (on stem).
• Petioled (stalked), deeply pinnate, oblong to ovate in shape.
• Lobes toothed, or incised, more or less pointed backwards.

Reproductive Parts:

• Inflorescence (flower cluster) capitate (head-like), but usually enlongating, few to many flowered.
• Flowers perfect (bisexual), irregular in symetry.
• Bracts leaflike but smaller, shallowly lobed or toothed above, pubescent (hairy).
• Calyx (sepals) 7-11mm long, pubescent, 5-lobed with 10 more or less pubescent veins, lobes 2-3mm long.
• Corolla (petals) 17-25mm long, bright yellow, with tip of upper lip brownish red, upper lip somewhat arched, 5-9mm long, lower lip 3-lobed.
• Stamens (male parts) 4, in 2 pairs, filaments bearing long hairs.

Seed:

• Fruit is a capsule.
• Seed capsules flattened, splitting open lenghtwise between the partitions into the central cavity, 11-16mm long, lanceolate-oblong.
• Seeds large, relatively few per plant.

Not to Be Confused With:

• Pedicularis labradorica (Labrador Lousewort) Which can be distinguished by its branched stems.
• Pedicularis lapponica (Lapland Lousewort) Which has few flowers, and upper lip of corolla (petals) is beaked.
• Pedicularis capitata (Many-headed Lousewort) which has larger erect pale cream coloured flowers.

Physiology:

• These plants are partial parasites with no outward sing of differing from normal, self-supporting plants.

Life Cycle:

• Perennial

Seasonal Cycle:

• Leaves deciduous (falling off).
• Blooms in early summer.

Animal Uses:

• Animals will not eat these plants as they contain poisonous glycosides.
• Their blossoms are typical bee flowers, with landing platforms, abundant nectar, and bright colours.
• It is interesting to note that Pedicularis (Louseworts) and Bombus (Bumblebees) share the same geographic range.

Habitat:

• Moist alpine tundra and heath.
• Moist to dry meadows and rocky slopes in tundra and heathland.

Modern:

Industrial:

• Flower stalks, dried, are used for olive green dye.
• Despite its name, no reference to the use of Pedicularis (Louseworts) for repelling lice was found.

Medicinal:

• An infusion using 7-15ml per 250ml water is said to be an effective sedative. It is also said to act as a mild relaxant for skeletal muscles and the cerebruim, queting anxiety and tension.
• The plant fresh or dried has mild astringent and antiseptic properties and is used to stop bleeding of minor injuries.

Food:

• Roots or young flowering stems of all Pedicularis (Louseworts) can be eaten raw or used as a pot-herb.

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Other:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food: