124 DIDYNAMIA— ANGIOSPERMIA. Melampyrum. 



compressed, but tumid ; its upper edge convex ; lower 

 straight; of 2 cells and 2 valves, bursting at the upper 

 margin ; the partitions transverse, narrow. Seeds 2 in 

 each cell, smooth, ovate-oblong, tumid, obtuse, attached, 

 by a short, thick, spongy stalk, to the base of the parti- 

 tions. 



Branched, spreading, annual, nearly smooth herbs, 12 or 18 

 inches high, with bluntly quadrangular stems ; opposite, 

 entire leaves ,• and handsome bracteated spikes of yellow 

 and purple Jloioers ,• the hracteas pointed, elegantly tooth- 

 ed, and variously coloured. The seeds are, without doubt, 

 naturally 2 in each cell, and resemble grains of wheat. 

 All the species turn black in drying. 



This genus and its nearest allies are admirably distinguish- 

 ed by their seeds, and to make a natural order of Melcnn- 

 pyracece on account of any peculiarity in \\\e fruit or seed, 

 which is only indicative of a generic distinction, appears 

 to me not judicious. 



1. M. cristatum. Crested Cow-wheat. 



Spikes quadrangular. Bracteas heart-shaped, closely im- 

 bricated, finely toothed. 



M. cristatum. Linn. Sp. PL 842. mild. v. 3. 1 97. Fl. Br. 65 1 . 



Engl. Bot.v. 1 . ^. 41 . Riv. Monop. Irr. t.Sl.f. 2. 

 M. n. 311. Hall. Hist. V. 1. 136. 

 M. cristatum, flore albo et purpureo. Raii Syn. *286, Bauh. 



Hist. i;. 3. p. 2.440./. Moris.v.?,.A29. sect.U. <. 23./. 2. 

 M. angustifolium cristatum, spica quadrata, floiibus ex luteo pal- 



lescentibus, nostras. Pluk. Almag. 245. Phyt. t. 99./ 2. 

 Crested Cow-wheat. Petiv. H. Brit. t.3d.f. 10. 



In woods and thickets ; sometimes in corn-fields. 



Plentiful in Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. Huds. In Maple- 

 bush lane, Gressenhall, Norfolk. Mr. Crowe. Abundantly in 

 Ripton wood, Huntingdonshire. Mr. Woodward. 



Annual. July. 



Stem leafy, with wide spreading branches, roughish to the touch. 

 Leaves long and narrow, almost linear, rough-edged, 1^ or 2 

 inches in length. Spikes solitary, terminal, with close, pecti- 

 nated, purplish bracteas, each tipped with a green leafy point. 

 F/. rather small, not quite closed, variegated with cream-colour 

 and light purple ; the palate yellow. Cal. with lanceolate teeth, 

 none of them longer than the tube, all minutely fringed, as are 

 likewise the teeth of the bracteas. Anth. of a dark dull purple. 

 Caps, crescent-shaped, thin, compressed, with 2 large seeds in 

 each cell. 



