Pedicularis bracteosa (bracted lousewort)

Pedicularis bracteosa (bracted lousewort) in the Salmon River Mountains of central Idaho. The louseworts are members of the family Orobanchaceae - a group of primarily parasitic plants.  While many parasitic plants in the Orobanchaceae are not photosynthetic (i.e., they are holoparasites and get all water, nutrients, and photosynthate from host plants), Pedicularis are hemiparasites that are green and photosynthetic, but make root-to-root connections with host plants that allow them to steal water and nutrients.