Lousewort

If you are out on Ashdown Forest look out for patches of this pinky-purple flower. It is actually semi parasitic, taking nutrients from surrounding plants. It is thought that the name came either from the belief that it would get rid of lice if you put it onto the bed or from the belief that cattle and sheep grazing on it got lice (similar to human headlice but they are specific to their hosts.) I think that it is more likely that the lice infestations increased at this time of year anyway, especially for livestock grazing on poor soils of the Forest but it is a pretty flower if you look closely.