Melampyrum scardicum - Hungarian Cow-wheat - (Scrophulariaceae)

Melampyrum scardicum

Cow-wheats fall into two categories in my book - either rather boring looking little flowers or wildly exotic ones. This cow-wheat, with its bright blue and yellow flowers, can be found in the grasslands of the Vitosha Mountains National Park in Bulgaria and most definitely falls into the latter category. This member of the Scrophulariacea family wasn't a common find during our visit to Bulgaria, but it was a most welcome one. Cow-wheats are named after their wheat-like seeds; they bloom from late May until the end of June.

The specimen above was photographed in Bulgaria in mid June.