''Odontites vernus'', the red
bartsia,
is a wild flower from the family
Orobanchaceae native to Europe and Asia and occurring as an alien in North America.
The red bartsia is a common plant in low-fertility soils, where it lives partially as a
parasite on the roots of
grasses.
The red bartsia has pinkish and red flowers from June to September. They prefer dry conditions and full sun light exposure and are pollinated by bees and wasps.
Over the last 70 years, the red bartsia has disappeared from many woodland locations in the English county of
Dorset.
In
Manitoba,
Canada, the plant known as red bartsia is considered a
weed.
Etymology
''Odontites'' is derived from Greek and means 'tooth-related', a name which is in reference to
Pliny the Elder using it to treat toothaches. ''Vernus'' means 'of the spring' (vernal).
[Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 278, 400]
References
External links
*
vernus
Plants described in 1827
{{Orobanchaceae-stub