Odontites luteus
Odontites luteus (L.) Clairv. (C and S Eur., SW As.) – A rare, locally naturalized alien. First documented from Turnhout in 1977 (Verloove 2006), doubtlessly as an ephemeral introduction. In the late 1990’s introduced, probably on purpose, in wild flower seed mixtures, on the occasion of the revegetation of coal mining spoil heaps in Limburg. At present Odontites luteus is known from Genk (Waterschei, As) and Heusden-Zolder, all together in four square kilometers. It is particularly common on the Klaverberg spoil heap where 1000’s of individuals occur.
In two localities where Odontites luteus grows in close proximity to native O. vernus subsp. serotinus, their hybrid has also been recorded.
All plants seen in this area have narrow leaves with entire margins, a feature of Odontites luteus subsp. luteus (Tison & de Foucault 2014).
Selected literature:
Bowen H.J.M. (1965) Odonites lutea (L.) Reichb. Bot. Soc. Brit. Isles Proc. 6: 124.
Tison J.-M. & de Foucault B. (coord.) (2014) Flora Gallica. Flore de France. Editions Biotope, Mèze : xx + 1196 p.
Verloove F. (2006) Catalogue of neophytes in Belgium (1800-2005). Scripta Botanica Belgica 39: 89 p. [available online at: http://alienplantsbelgium.be/sites/alienplantsbelgium.be/files/tabel_2.pdf]