Elephanthead Lousewort (14705824751)

Description:

Description: Pedicularis groenlandica. Once a member of the Scrophulariaceae or figwort family, but was recently moved to the Orobanchaceae or broomrape family. Grows in wet meadows and fens, often along streams; from montane to lower alpine. Each flower comprises a long, pointed, upward-curving beak that resembles the trunk of an elephant, along with the lateral flower lobes that resemble an elephant's ears. Louseworts (Pedicularis spp.) are perennial hemiparasitic (parasitic AND photosynthetic) plants, requiring a connection to a host plant through haustoria (parasitic appendages) on its roots. The haustoria pierce the host's tissue and obtain nutrients from it. Date: 14 July 2014, 14:09. Source: Elephanthead Lousewort. Author: Forest Service Northern Region from Missoula, MT, USA. Camera location47° 05′ 40.71″ N, 112° 37′ 15.94″ W View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap 47.094641; -112.621095.