MELAMPYRUM SYLVATICUM. SMALL-FLOWERED
COW-WHEAT.
melampyrum^ “ ^ Eg - | MELAMPYRUM fohis mtegerrimis, floribus hiabtibus. Hall. Heh. ». 307.
Dut. B o sn ie m artkoom . Er. L t MOampiro das bois. Germ. Derwald-Keshwoiz,
Swed. Skogrete. Nonv. Marioemklde.
Cuss AND Ord er. DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA.
[Natcra.. Ord e r . PEDICULARES,'juss. RHINANTHAGen.
Char. ^^b^ iqua^*Utera^i^UdcMsoeDSjSï ^ u l ^ Vmonospe^n1s!U3^m bw b a s i^ b bM a 0^ 0n^a, biloçularis,
G“ ' tw o - c a U ^ X ^ ^
Radix parva, fibrosa, annua.
CaüLIS spithamæus ad pedalem, erectus, flexuosus
obtuse tetragonus, scabriusculus, ramosus- ra-
mis paucis, oppositis, simplicibus, distantibus.
Folia opposita, remota, horizontaliter patentia, lance-
olato-acuminata, fiexuosa, nervosa ; nervis pneci-
pue scabriusculis, integerrima, siccitate nigm:
floralia suprema minora, rarissime basi dentata.
Flores parvi, flavi, solitarii, subsecundi, in axillis fere
omnium foliorum.
Calyx tubulosus, scabriusculus, nervosus, quadrifidus
laciniis lanceolatis, erectiusculis, demum post
florescentiam reflexo-patentibus.
Corolla calyce subduplo longior, basi tubulosa, alba
apice bilabiata, fauce subaperto, labio superior
compresso-galeato, margine incrassato pubes-
cente, infenore longitudine subæquali, tripartita
segmentis oblongis, paululum recurvatis, intus
leviter pubescentibus.
Stamina quatuor, didynama, prope medium corollæ
inserta : Filamenta breviuscula : Antheræ sagittate,
flavæ, dorso viridi, marginibus pilosis,
oiioculares, loculis longitudinaliter dehiscentibus.
Pistillum: Germen ovatum, biloculare, tetrasper-
mum : Stylus longus, filiformis simplex. : Stigma acutum,
Pericarpium : Capsula ovata, gibbosa, bivalvis, bi-
loculans, tetrasperma, abortione soepissime dimspuemn
sbai p: aDrtiisbsielep.imentum valvis contrarium, deReceptacülum
tuberculum parvum, prope basin dis-
sepimenti.
Semen majusculum, ovale, flavo-fuscum, basifungosum:
Albumen copiosum, camoso-corneum.
Embryo in extremitate superiore albuminis immersus,
rectos, hilo oppositas : Cotyledones breves ■
Aadicula incrassata, supera.
Root small, fibrous, annual.
Stem from a span to a foot high,, erect, flexuose,
obscurely four-sided, roughish, branched : the
T r°n' • opposite, simple, distantly placed.
L eaves opposite, distant, horizontally patent lanceo-
lato-acuminate, flexuose, nerved; the nerves
slightly rough, entire, turning black when drv :
the uppermost floral leaves less than the others
very rarely toothed a t the base.
Flowers small, yellow, solitary, subsecund, sprinmn*
from the axils of almost all the leaves.
Calyx tubular, rough, nerved, four-cleft, the segments
lanceolate, nearly erect, after inflorescence be-
coming between patent and reflexed.
Corolla about twice the length of the calyx, tubular
and white at its base, two-lipped at the mouth,
the mouth a little open, the upper lip helmetshaped
and compressed, the margin incrassated,
downy, the lower lip nearly of the same length
tripartite, its segments oblong, a little recurved!
within slightly pubescent.
STAMENsfour, didynamous, inserted at about the middle
of the corolla: Filaments rather short: Anthers
sagittate, yellow, green on the back, their
margins hairy, two-celled, the cells splitting
open lengthways. 6
P is t il : Germen ovate, two-celled, four-seeded: Style
long, filiform: Stigma acute, simple.
P e r ic a r p : a Capsule, ovate, gibbous, two-valved
two-celled, four-seeded, being often by imperfection
only two-seeded : Dissepiment contrary
to the valves, finally dividing in two parts.
Receptacle a small tubercle at the base of the dissepiment.
Seed very large, oval, yellowish-brown, spongy at its
fblaesseh.y anAdl bhuomrneyn. in large quantity, between
Embryo immersed in the upper extremity of the albumen,
straight, opposite to the hilum: Cotyledons
short: Radicle thickened, superior
ffr«. 5 | H fl.'An'lhérf0rï f c ^ K s tT ' j f i f ' s p0rolla seen on lhe f l g f l Corelli cut open,
to show the inverted Embryo „ d r the uppePr e x ^ t y “- ^ a ^ i o L n or £ 2 g
'““ S bracteaa which perfccflySentire 1 ’ “ d bef° re been noticed by Sir Thomas Gage,