Family: Scrophulariaceae Juss.

Melampyrum arvense

Distribution: Southeastern Europe, also Central Europe and Southern Scandinavia, Italy, France and Spain, from Asia Minor across Caucasus to the river Tobol.

Ecology: It grows on sunny slopes and margins of wood, mainly in the lowlands. Flowers from May to September.

Description: An annual herb with an erect and branched stem, 15–40 cm high. The leaves are opposite, lanceolate, bracts are purple. The flowers in a dense spike, pink with yellow throat and deep pink lip, 2–2,5 cm long. The fruit is a capsule.

Endangering and Protection: The Field Cow-wheat is an endangered and protected species in some countries (CZ, GB).

Melampyrum arvenseMelampyrum arvense
Melampyrum arvense

These images were taken in Czechia, Brno, Kamenný vrch and Hustopečská vrchovina, Kurdějov (July 1, 2003; June 6, 2004).