MELAMPYRUM ARVENSE. PURPLE COW-WHEAT.
. MELAMPYRUM awense; spicis conicis laxis, bracteis dentato-setaceis coloratis, calycum dentibus
scabris, corollis clausis. TVilld.
MELAMPYRUM arvense. Linn. Sp. P l.p . 842. Fl. Suec. n. 546. Buds. Angl. p. 270. With.
Bot. Arr. ed. 4. ml. 3. p. 534. Roth Fl. Germ. ml. 2. p. 54. Oed. Fl. Dan.
#.911. Smith Fl. Brit. p. 652. Engl. Bot. t. 53. Willd. Sp. P i. m l. 3. p. 198.
Pers. Syn. PI. m l. 2. ». 151. Decand. Fl. Fr. ed. 3. ml. 2. p . 485. Fl: Gall.
Syn.p. 213. Alton ILort. Kerb. ed. 2. ml. 4. p . 3.
MELAMPYRUM foliis integerrimis, bractéis semipinnatis. Hall. Helv; n. 310.
MELAMPYRUM purpurascente coma. Dili, m R a il Syn. p . 286.
Dan. Kmhrede. Roeverumpe. Dut. Alclcerig Züartlmrn. Fr. Blé de boeuf. .Le BU noir. Germ.
D e r Wachlelweizen. Hung. Tsormolya. It. Formento di micca. Port. Trigo de vacca Russ
Pwan. Damarja. Span. Trigo de mica. Hierba roja. Swed. Skdlle. Pukrete.
Class a nd Ord e r . DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA.
[Natural Ord e r . RHINANTHACEÆ, Decand. PEDICULARES, Juss. PERSONATÆ, Linn.)
Gen. Char. Calyx tubulosus, quadrifidus. Corolla labium superius compressum, margine replicato. Capsula
bilocularis, obliqua, hinc dehiscens.. Semina Tbina, gibba. Sm.
Radix annua, fibrosa.
Caülis pedalis yel bipedalis, erectus, quadrangularis,
scaber, valde ramosus, ramis erecto-patentibus,
inferne vifidibus, superne purpurascentibus.
Folia bipollicaria, patentia, saspe recurva, lanceolata,
acuminata, sub lente scabra, obscure viridia, nervosa,
inferiora integerrima, superiora basi laci-
niata, laciniis setaceis horizon tali ter patentibus.
Flores in spicas terminales oblongas coloratas laxe
congest!.
Bracteje magn®,specios®, nervös®, inferiores oblongo-
lanceölat®, basi, utrinque setaceo-pinnatifid®, vi-
rides, apice integerrim®, purpurascentes; supe-
riores ovato-acuminat®, purpure®, per totam
marginem setaceo-pinnatifid®.
Calyx tubulosus, quadridentatus, dentibus longis setaceis.
Corolla tubo longo, flavescente, labiis purpurascentibus,
superiore compresso-galeato, margine replicato,
inferiore planiusculo, margine replicato,
linea media longitudinali elevata instructo.
Stamina 4. Filamenta longa, albida, infeme subhir-
suta, prope basin tubi inserta. Anther® coalitfc,
ut in Compositis, purpurascentes, apice basique
pilos®, biloculares, longitudinaliter dehiscentes.
Pollen alb'ö-pellucens.
Germen superum, ovatum, stylo corolla paulo longiore
terminatum, album, Stigma simplex, sub apicem
mcrassatum, villosum.
Pericarpium : Capsula ovata, gibbosa, biv'alvis, bilocularis,
loculis dispermis, abortione plerumque mo-
nospermis. Dissepimentum valvis contrarium,
demum bipartibile.
ReceptacüLUM : Tuberculum minutum prope basin
dissepimenti.
Emen solitarium, obovatum, nitidum, pallide fuscum,
basi fungosum, podospermo elongato lateraliter
affixum.
Ntegumentum membranaceum.
Albumen semini conforme, carnosum, album.
mbryo subcylindricus, prope apicem albuminis situs,
inclusus, rectus, hilo oppositus. ■ Cotyledones
breves. Radicula incrassata, supera.
Root annual, fibrous.
Stem a foot or two feet high, erect, quadrangular, rough,
much branched, with the branches erecto-patent,
green in their lower part, above purplish.
Leaves two.inches long, patent, often recurved, lanceolate,
acuminate, under'the microscope rough,
dull green, nerved, the lower ones entire; the
upper ones at the base laciniate, the lacini® setaceous
horizontally patent.
Flowers looselycollected into terminal oblong coloured
spikes.
Bracteas large, showy, nerved, the lower ones oblongo-
lanceolate, at the base Oh each side setaceo-pinnatifid,
at the apex purple; the superior ones
ovato-acuminate, purple, their whole margin setaceo
pinnatifid.
Calyx tubular, quadridentate, the teeth long, setaceous.
Corolla with the tube long, yellowish, the lips purple,
the superior one helmet-shaped and compressed,
the margin folded back, the inferior one flattish,
the margin folded back and furnished down the
middle with a longitudinal line.
Stamens 4. Filaments long, white, below subhirsute,
inserted near the base of the tube. Anthers
united, as in-the Composites, purplish, at the
base and apex pilose, two-celled, opening longitudinally.
Pollen whitish, pellucid.
Ge rm en superior, ovate, terminated by a style longer
than the corolla, white. Stigma simple, thickened
below the apex, hairy.
P e r ica rp. Capsule ovate, gibbous, two-celled, two
valved, the cells dispermous or from abortion
generally monospermous. Dissepiment contrary
to the valves, at length bursting down the middle.
Receptacle, a small tubercle near the base of the
dissepiment.
Se ed solitary, obovate, shining, pale brown at the base
with a fungous excrescence fixed by its side to
an elongated seed-stalk.
I ntegument membranaceous.
Albumen of the same shape as the seed, carnose, white.
Embryo subcylindrical, situated near the apex of the
albumen, included, straight, opposite the Mum.
Cotyledons short. . Radicle incrassate, superior.
i" y H B ^ Flo"'cr torn open to show the anthers. Mg. 3. Anthers and part of the
Fja. rf p |fljj•.4 ‘ EoNeri* Fig. 5. Germen (jiat. size). Fig. 6. The same cut open to show the cells,
with IBiH HI 5*se)‘ Flg' 8- CaPsule bursting open. Fig. 9. The same with one Valve removed,
p j Part°f tbe Dissepiment and a Seed. Fig.TO. Seeds (not. size). Fig. 1 1 . Seed showing the seed-stalk!
b‘ A oeecl dissected, showing the embryo. Fig. 13. Embryo.— All but figs. 2, 5, 7 and 10, mao-n.
is a rare PIa”b being occasionally found in corn-fields and the dry banks bor-
nray fe i , j | a”<1’ bel'eve, more abundantly in Norfolk than in any other county. This last circumstance
gathered r ,ed for f l Ulc P'ofcicncc which it always shows for a light and dry soil.—Our specimens were
purple blmsom !? S.ey’ ^ Norwich, on ground of this description, which was literally carpeted by the lovely
l!rico H M M f lB are the greatest perfection in the latter end of the month of June or beginning of July. ■
seeds, when j n?ore common > an^ there, as well as in Sweden, it is considered a troublesome weed. The
and colour §rou.”^ wlt^ f|| corn> ™part a blue tint and disagreeable flavour to the bread: their form
\ nueeci, might easily cause them to be mistaken for fine grains of w h e a tw h e n c e the English name.