cow-wheat, Melampyrum lineare

Cow-wheat is a small plant of forests. These flowers are only up to a half inch long. This is a hemiparasitic species, attaching itself to tree roots to get water and solutes. One recent study that traced carbon isotopes indicates cow-wheat may also acquire carbon from its hosts. Does that make this plant hemicarnivorous? Cow-wheat grows in CT, DE, GA, ID IL, IN(R), KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MT, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH(T), PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, in all provinces except NT, NU, and YT, and on SPM. Roscommon Co MI, 6/30/11. Broomrape family, Orobanchaceae.