Melampyrum pratense

Meadows Cow-wheat ( Melampyrum pratense). Illustration by Otto Wilhelm Thomé

The meadows Cow-wheat ( Melampyrum pratense) is an annual half- parasites, which, with its knot -shaped suckers on the roots of other plants, such as fir, Leeches. The plant has made ​​a special seasonal dimorphism. It can form different ecotypes, which are often distinguished in vernal, aestivale and autumnale seasons types and campicole and monti cole heights types depending on the season and environmental conditions. Taxonomically these ecotypes are considered by some authors as a subspecies, but their position controversial. Due to the content of aucubin the meadows Cow-wheat is slightly toxic.

Occurrence

The meadows Cow-wheat grows in moderately dry, sparse deciduous, mixed deciduous and pine forests and at the edges and in acidophilous dwarf shrub heath. Calcareous soils are avoided. In Germany it is the most common cow-wheat - style with wide distribution, but only regionally scattered in some parts even rare occurrence. Overall, he has spread from Europe to West Siberia.

Identifying

The meadows Cow-wheat is 10 to 50 inches tall and blooms from May to August. Its flowers have lanceolate green bracts, which are entire, narrowed and wedge-shaped at the base and rounded. The individual flowers are in einseitswendigen ears, the lower are removed. The 12 to 20 millimeters long crown is yellowish -white in color to deep yellow, is club- shaped and forms a long straight tube. Rarely, it can also be purple crowded. The corolla tube is at least twice as long as the calyx glabrous, the calyx teeth are almost fitting. The fruit capsules are columns and contain few seeds. They are often spread by ants.

Subspecies

The species is very rich in form and forms little branched summer and autumn highly branched forms. The most important sub- types can be distinguished:

• Ssp. pratense L.: monochrome yellow flowers, stems few limbs extended
• Ssp. commutatum ( exchange) Britt. flowers numerous whitish with yellow lip, stems limbs.

Ecology

The meadows Cow-wheat is an annual semi parasite who Leeches with nodular suckers on the roots of other plants, eg spruce. To get to the water and dissolved nutrient salts against the suction force of the host, the plant has a particularly high rate of transpiration and therefore wilts after picking them very quickly. When Herbarisieren the plants are almost black due to oxidation processes quickly. The cotyledons remain activated as long assimilation organs. The bracts bear extrafloral nectaries. The plant shows a seasonal dimorphism.

The flowers are " mask flowers " and are in spike-like, light agile grapes. The pollen is smooth and dry and is spread when touching the stamen appendages. Because of up to 15 millimeters long tube only bumblebees as legal pollinators are successful; Bees perpetrate against " burglary ". By curvature of the stylus to the anthers and spontaneous self-pollination is possible. It has recently been demonstrated that there are flowers on the outside oversized dust bag dummies. The flowering period is between May and August.

The fruits are loculicidal, bicompartmental capsules with only a few seeds. Through two projecting calyx teeth are wind spreader and animal shakers. Also spread by ants ( myrmecochory ) occurs; they are attracted to fruit ripeness by extra-floral nectaries on the bracts. The seeds are deceptively similar to ant pupae and germinate in the " ant nests ." Fruit ripening is between July and September. The seeds are short-lived cold to germinate.

Toxicity

Due to the content of aucubin the meadows Cow-wheat is slightly toxic in all its parts. Particularly rich are the seeds of poison; they can be deadly for example for the mice. Poisoning were also observed for herbivores. The black and blue color of the bread grain goes back on aucubin.

Swell

• R. Duell / H. Kutzelnigg: Pocket Dictionary of Plants in Germany. 7th edition, Quelle & Meyer Verlag, 2011, ISBN 978-3-494-01424-1