Sibillini mountain flower self-ID'd by "Gertrude" as Melampyrum nemorosum

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gertrude

  • Jr. Member
Seen yesterday in Sibillini mountains, on the roadside,  unable to ID from all our books.
« Last Edit: September 23, 2018, 07:52:35 AM by Alisdair »
Pete and Jan retired to le Marche, Italy 20 years ago for a quiet,  sunny life.  Gardening here was a challenge, but we now have a wonderful garden, with an eclectric selection of plants,  including many wild  flowers and orchids of which we are found of.

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gertrude

  • Jr. Member
Re: Sibillini mountains
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2018, 08:26:32 PM »
Having  had no reply I posted this photo on Plant Idents (a FB page) and hey presto back came the answer - Melampyrum nemorosum
 

Apparently,  Its an herbaceous flowering plant in the broomrape family, Orobanchaceae.  The new leaves are blue, turning green as they mature.
How unusual is that?
Pete and Jan retired to le Marche, Italy 20 years ago for a quiet,  sunny life.  Gardening here was a challenge, but we now have a wonderful garden, with an eclectric selection of plants,  including many wild  flowers and orchids of which we are found of.

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JTh

  • Hero Member
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Re: Sibillini mountains
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2018, 10:11:32 AM »
Very unusual, I didn't know that there were hemiparasitic plants producing green leaves in the broomrape family, so thank you for teaching me something new. today.
It looks lovely, I see that has been found a few times even here in Norway, probably accidentally imported with lumber etc. In some places it's placed on the 'Black list' , in other places it's described as a potentially  attractive garden plant  with low risk of spreading to the woods where we already have other Melampyrum species, a couple of them are very common, but they haven't got the conspicuous blue colour.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.