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M E L A M P Y R U M criftatum.
Crejied Cow-•wheat.
W Y
D ID T N A M I A Anglofpermia.
G e n . C h a r . Calyx four-cleft. Upper lip of the Corolla
comprefled, turned back at the margin. Cap-
fule two-celled, oblique, burfting at one edge.
Seeds two, gibbous.
S p e c . C h a r . Spikes quadrangular. Bradeas heart-
fhaped, imbricated, compad, denticulated.
S y n . Melampyrum criftatum. Linn. Sp. PI. 842,.
Hudf. FI. An. 269. With. Bot. An. 638. Relh.
Cant. 240.
Melampyrum criftatum, flore albo & purpureo.
Rail Syn. *286.
C o m m u n i c a t e d from Madingley wood, Cam-
bridgelhire, by the Rev. Mr. Sutton.
The fpecies of this genus, although for the molt part remarkably
elegant when living, are equally remarkable for
turning black or brown in drying, fo that they make a
very poor appearance in a hortus liccus. The kind here
figured grows in the borders of woods, or in corn-fields. Its
root is annual; Item very much branched and bulky. The
fpikes of flowers are very ornamental, though lefs fo than
thofe of fome other fpecies. The corolla is occaljonally
purplifh, or white marked with yellow and purple. The
feeds of this genus have a remarkable refemblance to grains
of wheat; on which account, we prefer the old Englifh name
to that of Coiv-grafs, given by Dr. Stokes.