MELAMPYRUM ARYENSE. PURPLE COW-WHEAT.
MELAMPYRUM arvense; spicis conicis laxis, bracteis dentato-setaceis coloratis, calycum dentibus
scabris, corollis clausis. Wittel.
MELAMPYRUM arvense. Linn. Sp. P L p. 842. FI. Suec. n. 546. Hnds. Angl. p. 270. With.
Bot. A r r . ed. 4. ml. 3. p. 534. R oth FI. Germ. ml. 2. p. 54. Oed. FI. Dan.
t. cm . Smith FI. B r it. p. 652. Engl. Bot. t. 53. Willd. Sp. PI. m l. 3. p. 198.
Pers. Syn. PI. m l. 2. ».1 5 1 . Decand. FI. Fr. ed. 3. ml. 2. p . 485. FI. Gall.
Syn.p. 213. Alton H ort. Kern. ed. 2. ml. 4. p . 3.
MELAMPYRUM foliis integerrimis, bracteis semipinnatis. Hall. Helv. n. 310;
• MELAMPYRUM purpurascente coma. Dill, in Rail Syn. p. 286.
Dan. Kvehrede. Rceverumpe. Dut. Akkerig Zwartlcoorn. F r.Élèdebceuf. L e B lè noir. Germ.
D e r Wachlelweizen. Hung. Tsormolya. It. Formento di vacca. Port. Trigo de mcca. Russ.
Pwan. Damarja. Span. Trigo de mica. Hierba roja. Swed. Skatte. Pukrete.
Class a n d Order. D ID Y N AM IA ANGIOSPERMIA.
[N atural Order. RHINANTHACEÆ, Decand. PEDICULARES, Juts. PERSONATÆ, Linn.]
Ge n . Char. Calyx tubulosus, quadrifidus. Corolla labium superius compressum, margine replicato. Capsula
bilocularis, obliqua; hinc dehiscens. Semina bina, gibba. Sm.
Radix annua, fibrosa.
Caulis pedalis vel bipedalis, erectus, quadrangularis,
scaber, valde ramosus, ramis erecto-patentibus,
inferne viridibus, superne purpurascentibus.
Folia bipollicaria, patentia, saepe recurva, lanceolata,
acuminata, sub lente scabra, obscure viridia, nervosa,
inferiora integerrima, superiora basi laci-
niata, laciniis setaceis horizontaliter patentibus.
FLORES in spicas terminales oblongas coloratas laxe
congesti.
Bracteie magnaj.speciosae, nervosas, inferiores oblongo-
lanceolatas, basi utrinque setaceo-pinnatifidee, vi-
rides, apice integerrimae, purpurascentes; superiores
ovato-acuminate, purpureae, per totam
marginem setaceo-pinnatifidae.
Calyx tubulosus, quadridentatus, dentibus longis setaceis.
Corolla tubo longo, flavescente, labiis purpurascentibus,
superiore compresso-galeato, margine replicato,
inferiore planiüsculo, margine replicato,
linea media longitudinali elevata instructo.
Stamina 4. Filamenta longa, albida, inferne subhir-
suta, prope basin tubi inserta. Antherse coalitae,
u t in Compositis, purpurascentes, apice basique
pilosas, biloculares, longitudinali ter dehiscèntes.
Pollen albo-pellucens.
Germen superum, ovatum, stylo corolla paulo longiore
terminatum, album. Stigma simplex, sub apicem
incrassatum, villosum.
Pericarpium: Capsula ovata, gibbosa, bivalvis, bilocularis,
loculis dispermis, abortione plerumque mo-
nospermis. Dissepimentum valvis contrarium,,
demum bi parti bile.
ReceptACulum : Tuberculum minutum prope basin
dissepimenti.
Semen solitarium, obovatum, nitidum, pallide fuscum,
basi fungosum, podospermo elongato lateraliter
affix-urn.
Inteoumentum membranaceum.
Albumen semini conforme, carnosum, album.
Embryo 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 lacinite setaceous
horizontally patent.
Flowers looselycollected into terminal oblong coloured
spikes.
Bracteas large, showy, nerved, the lower ones oblongo-
lanceolate, at the base on each side setaceo-pin-
natifid, at the apex purple; the superior ones
' ovato-acuminate, purple, their whole margin se-
taceo-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 flatfish,
the margin folded back and furnished down the
middle with a longitudinal line.
Stamens 4. Filaments long, wliite, below subhirsute,
inserted near the base of the tube. Anthers
united, as in the Compositce, purplish, at the
base and apex pilose, two-celled, opening longitudinally.
Pollen whitish, pellucid.
Germen superior, ovate, terminated by a style longer
than the corolla, white. Stigma simple, thickened
below the apex, hairy.
Pericarp. 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.
Seed solitary, obovate, shining, pale brown at the base,
with a fungous excrescence fixed by its side to.
an elongated seed-stalk.
Integument membranaceous.
Albumen of the same shape as the seed, carnose, white.
Embryo subeylindrieal, situated near the apex of the
albumen, included, straight, opposite the hilum.
Cotyledons short. Radicle incrassate, superior.
F'trr i Flower and Bractea. Fig. 2. Flower torn open to show the anthers. Fig. 3. Anthers and part of the
Filaments. Fig. 4. Pollen. Fig. 5. Germen (not. size). Fig. 6. The same cut open to show the cells.
Fi<r. 7. Capsule (nat. size). Fig. 8. Capsule bursting open. Fig. 9- The same with one Valve removed,
with part of the Dissepiment and a Seed. Fig. 10. Seeds (nat. size). Fig. 11. Seed showing the seed-stalk.
Fig. 12. A Seed dissected, showing the embryo. Fig. 13. -Embryo.—AH but Jigs. 2, 5 ,7 and 10, magn.
With us Melampyrum arvense is a rare plant, being occasionally found in corn-fields and the dry banks bordering
upon them, and, we believe, more abundantly in Norfolk than in any other county. This last circumstance
may be easily accounted for by the preference which it always shows for a light and dry soil. Our specimens were
gathered at Costessey, by Norwich, on ground of this description, which was literally carpeted by the lovely
purple blossoms that are in the greatest perfection in the latter end of the month o f June or beginning of July. In
France this plant is far more common; and there, as well as in Sweden, it is considered a troublesome weed. The
seeds, when harvested and ground with the corn, impart.a blue tint and disagreeable flavour to the bread : their form
and colour, indeed, might easily cause them to be mistaken for fine grains of w h e a tw h e n c e the Epglish name.