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Melampyrum
Also called Cow Wheats, Cowwheat
Cow wheat (Melampyrum) is a genus of about 20 small herbaceous plants native to temperate Northern Hemisphere regions, usually grown in the wild rather than in gardens. Most are partial root parasites that draw water and nutrients from neighbouring plants, though some can grow on their own.
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).
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Melampyrum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
