' r t
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M E L A M P Y R U M pratenfe.
Common Yellow Cow-wheat.
D I D T N A M I A Angiofpermia.
G en. C h a r . Calyx four-cleft. Upper lip of the Corolla
compreffed, turned back at the margin. Capfule
two-celled, oblique, burfting at one edge. Seeds
two, gibbous.
Spec. C h a r . Flowers lateral, leaning one way. Leaves
in diftant pairs. Corolla clofed.
Sy n . Melampyrum pratenfe. Linn. Sp. PL 843.
Lightf. FI. Scot. 324. With. Bot. Arr. 639.
M. fylvaticum. HudJ. FI. An. 270.
M, fylvat. flore luteo, five fatureja lutea fylveftris.
Raii Syn. *286.
J V I a n y people, with the late Mr. Hudfon**, miftake this for
the M. fylvaticum, apparently becaufe it grows generally in
groves and thickets; but the true fylvaticum is a native chiefly
of alpine forefts, and has much fmaller flowers, the orifice
of whofe corolla is much more gaping.
Root branched, annual. Stem flender, divided into feveral
oppofite fpreading branches, the largeft uppermoft, the terminal
one firft producing feveral pairs of flowers, accompanied
towards the top by dentated purplilh bradfeae. Corolla pale at
the bafe, deep yellow towards the tip, its upper lip fringed with
denfe hairs, the lower one ftraight, not bent downwards as in M.
fylvaticum, as Dr. Stokes well obferves. Palate with two deep
yellow elevated plaits. The antherae cohere together at their tips.
Linnaeus fays, the belt and yelloweft butter is made where
this plant abounds. All authors have copied him, and we do
not fcruple to do the fame, in hopes that fomebody will in
time be induced to make experiments on the fubjeft in England,
where this plant is far from uncommon, flowering all
Summer long.
-*■ The celebrated author of the Flora Anglica, after repeated paralytic
attacks, departed this life May 2 3 , 1 7 9 3 . His memory requires no ftudied
eulogium here, as every page of the prefent work is an index to his labours.
May the writer of this leave no more errors behind him, as an author, or as
a man!