West Highland Flora

Yellow Rattle

Rhinanthus minor

Taxonomic note: Includes R borealis which was formerly sometimes treated as a separate species.

Rhinanthus minor

Photo © Carl Farmer
9 Aug 2002 Scorrybreac, Skye

Frequent in hay fields and lowland grassland.  Occasional in upland grassland and rock ledges

Height c 10-50 cm.  Flower length c 12-16 mm

ID: Unmistakable in flower.  In fruit has characteristic seed-pods, as shown on left, which rattle when shaken.  Plant not purplish like Louseworts.

Other features: Annual parasitic plant.  Stems normally black-spotted.  Upper lip of flower has 2 purple or whitish teeth at tip.

 

Rhinanthus minor

Photo © Carl Farmer
17 Jul 2003 Storr, Skye
Flower 16 mm from base of calyx to tip of petals

   Rhinanthus minor

Photo © Carl Farmer
17 Jul 2003 Storr, Skye
Plant 12.5 cm high

Typical specimen from a mountain rock ledge

 

Rhinanthus minor

Photo © Carl Farmer
9 Jun 2003 Penifiler, Skye
 

   Rhinanthus minor

Photo © Carl Farmer
9 Jun 2003 Penifiler, Skye
Right-hand flower 14 mm long
from join with stem to tip
Lowland plants from a flower-rich neutral-to-alkaline roadside


Back to species list