DIDYNAMIA-ANGIOSPERMIA. Melarnpyrum. 125 



culiarly long and linear, coloured like the bracteas. Cor. closed, 

 yellow ; the lips variegated with rose-colour and purple. Seeds 

 2 in each cell, though often bv abortion solitary ; hence "h.e ac- 

 curate John Bauhin describes 2 or 3 in itix'ih capsule. They re- 

 semble grains of wheat in shape and colour. 

 This is one of our most beautiful wild plants. It will grow from 

 fresh seed in a dry garden, and is well worthy of cultivation. 

 The late Mr. Watts observed, that whenever the field at Sporle 

 was cropped with wheat, but not otherwise, this Melarnpyrum 

 might be found in abundance. At Costesy it is more constant, 

 not only in the fields, but, as Dr. Hooker remarks, "on the 

 dry banks which border them." M. harbatum of Willdenow 

 seems well distinguished by its gaping yellow^ou^er^, indepen- 

 dent of the green bracteas. 



3. M. pratense. Common Yellow Cow-wheat. 



Flowers axillary, in partly distant pairs, turned to one 

 side. Corolla closed ; lip direct. Upper floral leaves 

 toothed at the base. 



M. pratense. Linn. Sp. PI 843. Willd. v. 3.1 99. FL Br. 652. 



Engl.Bot.v.2.t. 113. With.bAD. Lightf.324. Hook. Scot. \87. 

 M. sylvaticum. Huds.270. Wade Dubl. 168. Riv. Monop. Irr. 



t.Sl.f. 1. 

 M. n.308. Hall. Hist. V. 1. 135. 

 M. sylvaticum flore luteo, sive Satureia lutea sylvestris. Rail Syn. 



*286. Bauh Hist. v. 3. p. 2. U\. 

 M, luteum latifolium. Bauh. Pin. 234 j not 243, as in Willdenow, 



copied from LinncBus. 

 Parietaria sylvestris sccunda. Clus. Hist. v. 2.44./. 

 Crataeogonon. Lob Ic.36.f. 

 C. album. Ger. Em. 91. 



Common Cow-wheat. Petiv. H. Brit. t. 36./. 9. 

 /S. Melampyrum latifolium, flore albo, labio inferiore duabus ma- 



culis luteis distincto. Tourn. Par. 492. Dill, in Raii Si/n. *286. 

 M. pratense. Huds. 270. 



Fre(juent in woods and bushy places, especially on a clay or loamy 

 soil. 



/3. In the wood by Dr. Richardson's house at North Bierley, York- 

 shire. DUlenius. 



Annual Jnli/, Aui^ust. 



Stem smooth, with several wide-sj)reading branches, so as to be 

 frequently almost dei umbent. Leaves bright green, lanceolate, 

 taper-pointed, smooth, or roughish at th^ edges only, entire, 

 except those ihat accompany the flowers, which are more or 

 less toothed at the base, and sometimes dee|)ly pinnatifid, with 

 •very narrow segments, partaking much of tlie bracteas of the 

 last species, and like them occasionally coloured ; but they arc 



