field cow-wheat

Melampyrum arvense, or field cow-wheat, is a flowering plant native to regions including Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, England, Scotland, Spain, Czechia, Poland, Norway, and Slovakia. It was first described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. The plant is characterized by a noticeable spike of pink or purple terminal bracts that contain the flowers. It belongs to the genus Melampyrum and is part of the Orobanchaceae family.