Melampyrum lineare

Desr.

American Cow-wheat

G5Secure Found in 72 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
American Cow-wheat (Melampyrum lineare). Photo by Carlos J. Pasiche Lisboa, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Carlos J. Pasiche Lisboa, CC BY-NC 4.0
American Cow-wheat (Melampyrum lineare). Photo by Carlos J. Pasiche Lisboa, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Carlos J. Pasiche Lisboa, CC BY-NC 4.0
American Cow-wheat (Melampyrum lineare). Photo by Eric Giles, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Eric Giles, CC BY-NC 4.0
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.143357
Element CodePDSCR17010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderScrophulariales
FamilyOrobanchaceae
GenusMelampyrum
Other Common Names
Mélampyre linéaire (FR) narrowleaf cowwheat (EN) Narrowleaf Cow-wheat (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
Randle's treatment in FNA (2019, vol. 17) states, "Melampyrum lineare has been divided into four varieties on the basis of vegetative traits: leaf shape and margin, internode length, and degree of branching (or bushiness). Without exception, circumscriptions are overlapping for these traits, none of which is strictly diagnostic. Authors are also not in agreement about which varieties to recognize. Geographic ranges of the varieties are largely confluent; much of the morphological diversity of M. lineare is present throughout the range." Weakley et al. (2024) also cite references that find the recognition of infraspecific taxa unwarranted.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-05-13
Change Date1995-06-26
Ecology & Habitat
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
ManitobaS4Yes
Prince Edward IslandS4Yes
AlbertaS4Yes
Nova ScotiaS5Yes
QuebecS5Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS3Yes
British ColumbiaS5Yes
New BrunswickS5Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
OntarioS5Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
West VirginiaS4Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
DelawareS5Yes
ConnecticutS4Yes
North CarolinaS4Yes
MarylandSNRYes
IndianaS1Yes
MaineSNRYes
IdahoSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
South CarolinaS2Yes
New JerseySNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
KentuckySNRYes
OhioS3Yes
MichiganSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
MontanaS4Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
WashingtonSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
VermontS4Yes
IllinoisSXYes
New YorkS5Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (72)
Georgia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Helton CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,348
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Rocky MountainChattahoochee National Forest4,269
Sarah's CreekChattahoochee National Forest6,888
Maine (1)
AreaForestAcres
Caribou - Speckled ExtWhite Mountain National Forest5,988
Minnesota (2)
AreaForestAcres
Hegman LakesSuperior National Forest675
Kawishiwi Lake To SawbillSuperior National Forest15,305
Montana (9)
AreaForestAcres
Allen Peak #185Kootenai National Forest29,638
Barren Creek #183Kootenai National Forest14,534
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - SwanLolo National Forest118,485
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - SwanLewis and Clark National Forest344,022
Buckhorn Ridge (MT)Kootenai National Forest34,716
Cabinet Face East #671Kootenai National Forest50,326
Deadhorse Ridge Ra 1128Flathead National Forest23,648
Garden PointLolo National Forest6,322
HoodooLolo National Forest105,162
New Hampshire (5)
AreaForestAcres
PemigewassetWhite Mountain National Forest32,255
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Sandwich RangeWhite Mountain National Forest16,797
WatervilleWhite Mountain National Forest4,312
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
North Carolina (17)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
Big Indian (addition)Nantahala National Forest1,155
Chunky Gal (addition)Nantahala National Forest3,336
Dobson KnobPisgah National Forest6,111
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Little Indian (addition)Nantahala National Forest640
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Overflow CreekNantahala National Forest3,379
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
Sharptop Ridge (addition)Nantahala National Forest600
SnowbirdNantahala National Forest8,489
South Mills RiverPisgah National Forest8,588
Woods MountainPisgah National Forest9,602
Pennsylvania (1)
AreaForestAcres
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
South Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big MountainSumter National Forest2,337
Tennessee (6)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Beaver Dam CreekCherokee National Forest5,070
Brushy RidgeCherokee National Forest7,469
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
London Bridge BranchCherokee National Forest3,387
Stone MountainCherokee National Forest5,367
Vermont (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
Devil's Den 09083Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests9,169
Virginia (19)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Beaver Dam CreekJefferson National Forest1,135
Elliott KnobGeorge Washington National Forest9,380
Hunting Camp Little Wolf CreekJefferson National Forest8,953
JerkemtightGeorge Washington National Forest16,687
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Lewis Fork AdditionJefferson National Forest749
Little AlleghanyGeorge Washington National Forest10,215
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Little Walker MountainJefferson National Forest9,818
Little Wilson Creek Addition BJefferson National Forest1,725
Raccoon BranchJefferson National Forest4,388
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
Three RidgesGeorge Washington National Forest4,745
West Virginia (5)
AreaForestAcres
Canaan LoopMonongahela National Forest7,867
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
References (3)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2019. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 17: Magnoliophyta: Tetrachondraceae to Orobanchaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 737 pp.
  2. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  3. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.