Southwest Colorado Wildflowers, Pedicularis racemosa

The genus name, "Pedicularis", given by Linnaeus in 1853, is derived from the Latin "pediculus", "louse". A bygone belief had it that the plant gave lice to people and cattle. Or, according to some sources, the plant was thought to cure people or cattle of lice! "Wort" is from the Old English, "wyrt", meaning "plant" (Figwort, Spiderwort, Spleenwort). Many members of the Pedicularis genus are also commonly called "Wood Betony".

Pedicularis racemosa (Parrot’s Beak)
Scrophulariaceae (Snapdragon Family)

Subalpine. Woodlands. Summer.
Colorado Trail, June 15, 2005.

Pedicularis racemosa is a very showy and abundant plant: the base of Spruce trees is often surrounded by scores of plants with hundreds of flowers. A cluster of many white, beaked flowers tops each stem.

"Racemosa" is from the Latin for "cluster".

Pedicularis racemosa (Parrot’s Beak)
Scrophulariaceae (Snapdragon Family)

Subalpine. Woodlands. Summer.
Upper Calico Trail, July 12, 2004.

David Douglas of Douglas fir fame collected this plant in the early 1830's "on the summit of the high mountains of the Grand Rapids of the Columbia [River]" (as quoted in Intermountain Flora); he named it Pedicularis racemosa; and this name and the description of the plant were published in William Jackson Hooker's Flora Boreali-Americana in 1838.

Pedicularis racemosa (Parrot’s Beak)
Scrophulariaceae (Snapdragon Family)

Subalpine. Woodlands. Summer.
Lizard Head Trail, July 2, 2004.

Parrot’s Beak is easy to identify - even well before its flowers appear: the plants have numerous stems leaning outward in an arching bouquet of maroon. There are commonly dozens of these bouquets in the same area. The slightly serrated maroon leaves gradually change to green as chlorophyll is produced.