Lousewort - Pedicularis Sylvatica - Western Isles Pink Wildflowers

Partial Parasite
Lousewort is a perhaps thought of as a partial parasite as it extracts nutrients from the roots of other plants - through tiny white suckers on its own roots. The pink flowers are really pretty when you see them close up

Pink Flowers - seen on the heathland, meadows and moorland.
An attractive pink-flowered plant of acid heaths and meadows The pinky red and sometimes even white flowers The pink flowers have an upright, hooded petal, then a lower lid divided into three. You will see these wildflowers in The Western Isles from around April.

From April - A Quietly Dazzling Display of Pink Flowers.
This low growing perennial - height 8 - 15cm can be seen in damp, poorly drained soils, such as dune slacks which is where many of the pictures on this page were seen - at Mangersta - just above the beach. Lousewort grows very low to the ground with lots of un branched stems carrying dense small spikes of pale pink flowers.

Parasite
Lousewort is in April really a parasite as it feeds on the roots of other plants - like grasses and takes nutrients in through tiny white suckers on its roots.

Alternative Name
The plant is also known as Dwarf Red Rattle.

Shorter Than Marsh Lousewort - Hemi Parasite
The Lousewort Plant is shorter than Marsh Lousewort and less upright in growth .It is a hemi-parasitic plant which feeds on minerals and water from other plants