genus
Cow-wheats
Melampyrum
Field notes
Melampyrum is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Orobanchaceae known commonly as cow wheat. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. They are hemiparasites on other plants, obtaining water and nutrients from host plants, though some are able to survive on their own without parasitising other plants.
Melampyrum species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including the mouse moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis).
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Range
Greener is more native, amber more introduced; paler is less certain. How this was decided
Key traits
- Layer
- Herbaceous plants
- Plant type
- Annual Wildflower
From USDA PLANTS.
Top native cow-wheats All
Native to the US, ranked by caterpillars, then bees and other hosts, food, flowers and shelter.
