Wood cow-wheat
Photo: Arne Ader
Translation: Liis
Wood cow-wheat.
| Wood cow-wheat |
Harilik härghein
|
Melampyrum nemorosum |
On the verges of forest roads and in wooded meadows an interesting plant now flowers with bright yellow flowers. But the common reaction is: violet flowers!
The upper leaves of the cow-wheat are violet or blue-violet. They are placed in between the flowers and at the tip of the stalk. The bright yellow flowers are hidden by these bracts. The bracts have the same task as the petals in flowers – to make the plant more beautiful and more eyecatching for pollinators.
One more interesting characteristic: this is a half-parasitic plant. The roots of the cow-wheat are small and only poorly developed, but these roots are the means by which it fastens on to other, stronger plants and takes up part of its necessary nutrients. This can be from larger bushes or from trees. The host plants have a large and well developed root system and don’t mind such a "small and temporary thieving”.
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