Crested Cow-wheat
EN

Crested Cow-wheat

Melampyrum cristatum

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melampyrum_cristatum

Overview

Melampyrum cristatum, also known as crested cow-wheat is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae.

Crested Cow-wheat is declining primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized grassland and woodland edge environments. Agricultural intensification, changes in traditional land management practices, and succession of open habitats to closed woodland have significantly reduced suitable habitat availability.

Threat summary

Habitat

M. cristatum is native to the following places: Albania, Altai, Austria, the Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Corsica, Crete, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, North Caucasus, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Siberia (western), Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey (European), Ukraine, Yugoslavia.

It has also been...

Other threatened species in Orobanchaceae

LousewortVU

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Yellow-rattleVU

Yellow-rattle

Rhinanthus minor

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greater yellow-rattleCR

greater yellow-rattle

Rhinanthus alectorolophus

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Euphrasia dunensisCR

Euphrasia dunensis

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Crested Cow-wheat classified as Endangered?
Crested Cow-wheat is classified as Endangered — facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild — because population numbers are declining steeply and key habitats are under sustained pressure. Crested Cow-wheat is declining primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized grassland and woodland edge environments. Agricultural intensification, changes in traditional land management practices, and succession of open habitats to closed woodland have significantly reduced suitable habitat availability.
Where does Crested Cow-wheat live?
Crested Cow-wheat occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Crested Cow-wheat?
The main threats to Crested Cow-wheat are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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