Melampyrum nemorosum L. (N and C Eur.) – An exceptional and ephemeral alien. A single individual was seen on the unloading quay for timber at the Sifferdok in the Ghent port area in 2015. At this locality Melampyrum nemorosum grew along with numerous other woodland plants from Central or northern Europe, some highly unusual (e.g. Carex loliacea; Verloove 2016). This species has also been associated with Russian timber (Kiviniemi 2017).
Melampyrum nemorosum is part of a complex species group. Nearly one half of the species of Melampyrum belong to it and species delimitation is based predominantly on the calyx indumentum, calyx teeth length, bract shape and bract color, corolla length and corolla shape but these characters often change in the course of the flowering season (Štech 2000). It is here accepted in a broad sense.
Selected literature:
Kiviniemi A. (2017) Kasviretkiä venäläisen puutavaran jäljillä II – alue-esittelyt. Lutukka 33: 3-23.
Štech M. (2000) Seasonal variation in Melampyrum nemorosum. Preslia 72(2-4): 345-368. [available online at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269632048_Stech_M_2000_Seasonal...
Verloove F. (2016) Adventieve en ingeburgerde zeggen (Carex, Cyperaceae) in België. Dumortiera 108: 13-21. [available online at: http://www.br.fgov.be/DUMORTIERA/DUM_108/Dum_108_13-21_Carex%20exoten_Ve...
Vigier B. (1994) Melampyrum nemorosum L. retrouvé en Haute-Loire. Bull. Soc. Bot. Centre-Ouest, n.s. 25: 47-52. [available online at: http://www.sbco.fr/bull25/]