Yellow rattle

Yellow rattle

Taxobox
name = Yellow Rattle, Cockscomb


image_width = 240px
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Lamiales
familia = Orobanchaceae
genus = "Rhinanthus"
species = "R. minor"
binomial = "Rhinanthus minor"
binomial_authority = L.

Yellow Rattle or Cockscomb ("Rhinanthus minor") is a flowering plant in the genus "Rhinanthus" in the family Orobanchaceae, native to Europe and western Asia.

It is a hemi-parasitic herbaceous annual plant that gains some of its nutrients from the roots of neighbouring plants. It grows to 25-50 cm tall, with opposite, simple leaves, with a serrated margin. The flowers are yellow, produced on a terminal raceme. The fruit is a dry capsule, which contain loose, rattling seeds when ripe; the plant's name refers to these. Its preferred habitat is dry fields or meadows, where its flowering period is between June and September. In Ireland and Scotland, this species is often associated with Machair habitat.

Research at the UK's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology has shown that encouraging Yellow Rattle to grow in hay meadows greatly increases biodiversity by restricting grass growth and thereby allowing other species to thrive. The seeds are spread very effectively by traditional hay-making practices.

It can be cultivated by scarifying the surface of the ground with a fork or similar, then sowing onto short grass, 0.5 to 1 gram of seed per square metre. Yellow Rattle seed is short-lived and should always be sown in the autumn, using seed harvested that year. Then, keep grass short for beginning of March when seedlings establish. Thereafter, the grass should not be cut until the end of July to allow the Yellow Rattle to flower and go to seed, then cut short.

References

* [http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Rhinanthus&SPECIES_XREF=minor&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= Flora Europaea: "Rhinanthus minor"]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Yellow rattle — Yellow Yel low (y[e^]l l[ o]), a. [Compar. {Yellower} (y[e^]l l[ o]*[ e]r); superl. {Yellowest}.] [OE. yelow, yelwe, [yogh]elow, [yogh]eoluw, from AS. geolu; akin to D. geel, OS. & OHG. gelo, G. gelb, Icel. gulr, Sw. gul, Dan. guul, L. helvus… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Yellow rattle — Rattle Rat tle, n. 1. A rapid succession of sharp, clattering sounds; as, the rattle of a drum. Prior. [1913 Webster] 2. Noisy, rapid talk. [1913 Webster] All this ado about the golden age is but an empty rattle and frivolous conceit. Hakewill.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • yellow-rattle — see rattle n.1 3 a …   Useful english dictionary

  • yellow rattle — noun : rattle 3 a * * * yellow rattle see under ↑rattle • • • Main Entry: ↑yellow …   Useful english dictionary

  • yellow rattle — noun a partly parasitic yellow flowered plant whose ripe seeds are shed into a pouch which rattles when shaken. [Rhinanthus minor.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • yellow rattle — noun A flowering plant native to Eurasia, scientific name Rhinanthus minor. Syn: cockscomb …   Wiktionary

  • Rattle — Rat tle, n. 1. A rapid succession of sharp, clattering sounds; as, the rattle of a drum. Prior. [1913 Webster] 2. Noisy, rapid talk. [1913 Webster] All this ado about the golden age is but an empty rattle and frivolous conceit. Hakewill. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Yellow — Yel low (y[e^]l l[ o]), a. [Compar. {Yellower} (y[e^]l l[ o]*[ e]r); superl. {Yellowest}.] [OE. yelow, yelwe, [yogh]elow, [yogh]eoluw, from AS. geolu; akin to D. geel, OS. & OHG. gelo, G. gelb, Icel. gulr, Sw. gul, Dan. guul, L. helvus light bay …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Yellow atrophy — Yellow Yel low (y[e^]l l[ o]), a. [Compar. {Yellower} (y[e^]l l[ o]*[ e]r); superl. {Yellowest}.] [OE. yelow, yelwe, [yogh]elow, [yogh]eoluw, from AS. geolu; akin to D. geel, OS. & OHG. gelo, G. gelb, Icel. gulr, Sw. gul, Dan. guul, L. helvus… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Yellow bark — Yellow Yel low (y[e^]l l[ o]), a. [Compar. {Yellower} (y[e^]l l[ o]*[ e]r); superl. {Yellowest}.] [OE. yelow, yelwe, [yogh]elow, [yogh]eoluw, from AS. geolu; akin to D. geel, OS. & OHG. gelo, G. gelb, Icel. gulr, Sw. gul, Dan. guul, L. helvus… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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