George Island, Icy Strait

Lousewort is among the many native and introduced plants important to the natives of North America (Alaska in particular), and by the white man (including the Russians and later the Americans). This plant was used for food and medicine, and for ridding their bodies of unwanted, dubious, guests. Lousewort is in the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae), with a wide distribution especially in the Northern Hemisphere. It is one of the 350 species in the genus, of which many are used for interesting purposes. The flowers of the European species were presumed to become lice on sheep on contact with them. Some of the eight Alaska species have been used to make weak alcoholic beverages by fermenting the flowers; the root in most of these species is edible (boiled or roasted), though a series of alkaloids are known from these organs. The name is old European, "wort" meaning plant.