Melampyrum lineare
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Photo courtesy Renee Brecht |
Britton & Brown |
| Botanical name: | Melampyrum lineare |
| Common name: | cow wheat |
| Group: | dicot |
| Family: | Scrophulariaceae |
| Growth type: | forb/herb |
| Duration: | perennial |
| Origin: | native |
| Plant height: | 6 - 16" |
| Foliage: | linear, opposite, usually entire margins but some leaves toward base may be bristle tipped |
| Flower: | tubular, pale yellow to white |
| Flowering time: | June-August |
| Habitat: | dry or pine woods, bogs |
| Range in New Jersey: | statewide |
| Heritage ranking, if any: | n/a |
| Distribution: |  |
| Misc. | The Greeks mixed cow-wheat seeds into wheat grains then ground them into flour. The resulting bread was black, hence the name mela "black" and pyros, "wheat". |