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