Yellow-rattle - Rhinanthus minor

Description

Low to medium plant, stem erect, often with black streaks or dots, leaves oblong to linear lanceolate, 5 to 15 mm wide, dark green, toothed. Bracts triangular and sharply toothed, equalling, or longer than the calyx. Flowers yellow, 13 to 15 mm, with violet, or occasionally white teeth, mouth more or less open.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Grassy habitats, hay meadows, roadside verges.

When to see it

May to September.

Life History

Annual semi parasitic.

UK Status

Fairly frequent throughout Britain.

VC55 Status

Fairly frequent but probably declining in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 183 of the 617 tetrads.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Yellow-rattle
Species group:
Wildflowers
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Lamiales
Family:
Orobanchaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
232
First record:
24/04/2007 (Dave Wood)
Last record:
24/08/2023 (O'Brien, Helen)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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