[swcoloradowildflowers.com] Etymology: The genus name, "Pedicularis", given by Linnaeus in 1753, is derived from the Latin "pediculus", meaning "lice". 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). In the West, members of this genus are commonly called "Lousewort"; in the East they are often called "Wood Betony". (link added by Mary Ann Machi)