Practical
Plants

Rhinanthus minor

Yellow Rattle

an annual member of the Rhinanthus genus in the family Scrophulariaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual
Height
0.5 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Self

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

This plant might be poisonous to livestock[4].

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant is ophthalmic[1][3].

Product or use
Ophthalmic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A bright yellow dye is obtained from the leaves[1].

Product or use
Dye

Environment

Range
Europe, including Britain, from Iceland south and east to Spain, W. Siberia and the Caucasus.
Habitat
Grassland[2]. There are various sub-species that grow on basic or calcareous soils[2].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest either sowing the seed in situ in a lawn or meadow or, if seed is in short supply, sowing it in a pot of turf in a cold frame. It is probably best to sow as soon as the seed is ripe but a spring sowing can also be tried.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A semi-parasitic plant of grass, it can be grown in a meadow[4].

References

  1. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

    ↩1↩2

  2. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

    ↩

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

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