Melampyrum nemerosum - Yellow Cow-wheat (Scrophulariaceae)

Melampyrum nemerosum growing in the Triglav National Park in
Slovenia

The Scropulariacea family of plants often seems like a dumping ground for many of our less attractive wildflowers, but the 'scrophs' as they are often referred to have a few glamorous surprises tucked away - the Cow-wheats amongst them. Field Cow-wheat (Melampyrum arvense) must surely count as one of our most beautiful (and rare) wildflowers. Now seldom seen in the UK being restricted to a few locations in Southern England, this lovely wildflower is more easily found on the mainland of Europe.

Yellow Cow-wheat is also an exotic-looking and beautifully coloured plant with its deep purple bracts below which are bright yellow flowers. It is common in Slovenia (where eight different species of Cow-wheats grow) and we found and photographed it in several places.

It grows on woodland edges and roadside verges. It is in full flower in July.

The specimen on this page was photographed in Slovenia, beside Lake Bled, in July.