Rhinanthus minor

Rhinanthus minor, known as yellow rattle,Template:Refn is a herbaceous wildflower in the genus Rhinanthus in the broomrape family. It has circumpolar distribution in Europe, Russia, western Asia, and northern North America. An annual plant, yellow rattle grows up to tall, with upright stems and opposite, simple leaves. The fruit is a dry capsule, with loose, rattling seeds.

The preferred habitat of Rhinanthus minor is dry fields or meadows; it tolerates a wide range of soil types. It flowers in the summer between May and September. It is hemiparasitic, notably on Poaceae (grasses) and Fabaceae (legumes), and farmers consider it to be a pest, as it reduces grass growth.

Yellow rattle is used to create or restore wildflower meadows, where it maintains species diversity by suppressing dominant grasses and the recycling of soil nutrients. The seed is sown thinly onto grassland from August to November—to germinate the following spring, the seeds need to remain in the soil throughout the winter months.

Description

old illustration of yellow rattle and its seeds

Rhinanthus minor, from Icones Florae Germanicae et Helveticae (1862)

Yellow rattle is a herbaceous annual plant that resembles the larger greater yellow rattle (Rhinanthus angustifolius).Template:Sfn The plant grows to up to tall,Template:Sfn with opposite, simple leaves measuring  × .

The leaves are sessile (they grow directly from the stem), somewhat heart-shaped at the base, otherwise ovate (oval-shaped) to lanceolate (shaped like a lance tip), dentate (toothed) and scabrid (a little rough to the touch). The stem, which stands upright, can be simple or branched, is four-angled and often streaked or spotted black.Template:Sfn

The yellow flowers are across and have a straight tube for the petals. The silvery-coloured fruit is a dry capsule, which contains loose, rattling seeds when ripe that give the plant one of its common names.Template:Sfn

The herbalist Nicholas Culpeper, in his The English Physician (first published in 1652), wrote of yellow rattle as being "good for cough, or dimness of sight".Template:Sfn The plant has a reputation of being toxic to animals. The seeds contain iridoids which cause them to have a bitter taste.Template:Sfn

Taxonomy

Rhinanthus minor is a flowering plant in the genus Rhinanthus in the family Orobanchaceae. It was described by the Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus in volume 3 of Amoenitates Academici (1756). The species name is derived from Ancient Greek and means 'nose flower', which is in reference to the shape of the upper lip of the corolla. Minor means 'smaller'.Template:Sfn It is classified in the genus Rhinanthus within the family Orobanchaceae.Template:Sfn

According to Plants of the World Online it has four accepted subspecies:Template:Sfn

• Rhinanthus minor subsp. calcareus – Endemic to Great BritainTemplate:Sfn
• Rhinanthus minor subsp. lintonii – Endemic to Great BritainTemplate:Sfn
• Rhinanthus minor subsp. minor – Native to Europe and western Asia, introduced widelyTemplate:Sfn
• Rhinanthus minor subsp. monticola – France, Great Britain, and IrelandTemplate:Sfn

The synonyms of Rhinanthus minor and its four subspecies includes Template:Table row counter names including 50 species names.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Table of Synonyms

Name	Year	Rank	Synonym of:	Notes
Alectorolophus × fallax var. hispanicus Sennen & Elías	1925	hybrid variety	subsp. minor	= het., nom. nud.
Alectorolophus alpinus Rchb.	1862	species	subsp. minor	= het., nom. illeg.
Alectorolophus buccalis Heynh.	1846	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus crista-galli (L.) M.Bieb.	1808	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus crista-galli var. monticola (Lamotte) K.Malý	1919	variety	subsp. monticola	≡ hom.
Alectorolophus crista-galli var. rusticulus (Chabert) Sterneck	1901	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus crista-galli subsp. stenophyllus (Schur) K.Malý	1919	subspecies	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus glaber All.	1785	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus grandiflorus var. glabratus Wallr.	1822	variety	subsp. minor	= het., nom. superfl.
Alectorolophus kyrollae (Chabert) Sterneck	1901	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus longibracteatus Kociejotoski	1923	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus major var. glaber Rchb.	1862	variety	subsp. minor	= het., nom. superfl.
Alectorolophus minor (L.) Dumort.	1827	species	R. minor	≡ hom.
Alectorolophus minor Rchb.	1831	species	subsp. minor	= het., sensu auct.
Alectorolophus minor var. monticola (Lamotte) Sterneck	1901	variety	subsp. monticola	≡ hom.
Alectorolophus minor var. rusticulus (Chabert) Hayek	1914	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus minor var. stenophyllus (Schur) Wettst.	1900	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus minor f. vittulatus (Gremli) Sterneck	1901	form	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus monticola (Lamotte) Sterneck	1901	species	subsp. monticola	≡ hom.
Alectorolophus parviflorus Wallr.	1822	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus parviflorus var. longidens (Chabert) Rouy	1909	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus parviflorus var. perrieri (Chabert) Rouy	1909	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus parviflorus var. rusticulus (Chabert) Rouy	1909	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus parviflorus var. stenophyllus (Schur) Rouy	1909	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus parviflorus f. stenophyllus (Schur) Beck	1893	form	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus parviflorus var. vittulatus (Gremli) Rouy	1909	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus personatus Behrendsen & Sterneck	1903	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus pulchella Schumach. ex Wimm.	1841	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus ramosus Schur	1866	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus rigidus (Chabert) Sterneck	1901	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus rusticulus (Chabert) Sterneck	1901	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus stenophyllus Sterneck	1905	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus stenophyllus Schur	1866	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Alectorolophus villosus Dumort.	1827	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Fistularia alpina Wettst.	1893	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Fistularia crista-galli (L.) Kuntze	1891	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Fistularia crista-galli var. vittulatus (Gremli) Borbás	1900	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Fistularia minor (L.) Kuntze	1891	species	R. minor	≡ hom.
Mimulus crista-galli (L.) Scop.	1771	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus borealis subsp. kyrollae (Chabert) Pennell	1951	subspecies	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus calcareus Wilmott	1940	species	subsp. calcareus	≡ hom.
Rhinanthus crista-galli L.	1753	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus crista-galli subsp. crista-galli Ehrh.	1780	subspecies	subsp. minor	= het., not validly publ.
Rhinanthus crista-galli f. genevensis (Chabert) Soó	1929	form	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus crista-galli f. longidens (Chabert) Soó	1929	form	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus crista-galli f. maculiferus Lindb. ex Soó	1929	form	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus crista-galli f. maritimus Sennen & Leroy	1927	form	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus crista-galli f. minimus Schur	1866	form	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus crista-galli subsp. minor (L.) Bonnier & Layens	1894	subspecies	R. minor	≡ hom.
Rhinanthus crista-galli var. minor (L.) Hartm.	1820	variety	R. minor	≡ hom.
Rhinanthus crista-galli subsp. monticola (Lamotte) Soó	1929	subspecies	subsp. monticola	≡ hom.
Rhinanthus crista-galli var. ramosissimus (Schur) Soó	1929	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus crista-galli subsp. rusticulus (Chabert) Soó	1929	subspecies	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus crista-galli var. rusticulus (Chabert) Schinz & Thell.	1914	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus crista-galli subsp. stenophyllus (Schur) Soó	1929	subspecies	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus crista-galli var. stenophyllus (Schur) Fiori	1926	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus crus-galli Clem. & E.G.Clem.	1914	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus elatior (Soó) Tzvelev	2000	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus gardineri Druce	1915	species	subsp. lintonii	= het.
Rhinanthus glaber Lam.	1779	species	subsp. minor	= het., nom. superfl.
Rhinanthus glaber subsp. minor (L.) Schübl. & G.Martens	1834	subspecies	R. minor	≡ hom., nom. superfl.
Rhinanthus glaber var. minor (L.) Corb.	1894	variety	R. minor	≡ hom., nom. superfl.
Rhinanthus hercynicus O.Schwarz	1935	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus kyrollae Chabert	1899	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus lintonii Wilmott	1940	species	subsp. lintonii	≡ hom.
Rhinanthus lochabrensis Wilmott	1940	species	subsp. lintonii	= het.
Rhinanthus longibracteatus (Kociejotoski) Domin	1935	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus major subsp. glaber F.W.Schultz	1848	subspecies	subsp. minor	= het., nom. superfl.
Rhinanthus minor var. angustifolius W.D.J.Koch	1833	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor var. angustifolius Gren.	1853	variety	subsp. monticola	≡ hom., nom. illeg.
Rhinanthus minor subsp. balticus U.Schneid.	1962	subspecies	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor var. balticus (U.Schneid.) Hartl	1972	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor subsp. elatior (Soó) P.Fourn.	1937	subspecies	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor f. genevensis Chabert	1899	form	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor f. gracilis Poeverl.	1905	form	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor var. hercynicus (O.Schwarz) Hartl	1972	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor var. longidens Chabert	1899	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor f. longiramosus Poeverl.	1905	form	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor f. maculifer H.Lindb. ex Hiitonen	1933	form	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor var. monticola Lamotte	1881	variety	subsp. monticola	≡ hom.
Rhinanthus minor subsp. perrieri (Chabert) P.Fourn.	1937	subspecies	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor subvar. pubescens Merino	1914	subvariety	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor var. ramosissimus Schur	1866	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor f. ramosus Poeverl.	1905	form	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor subsp. resimus Neuman	1905	subspecies	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor var. rusticulus Chabert	1899	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor subsp. stenophyllus (Schur) P.Fourn.	1937	subspecies	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor var. stenophyllus Schur	1866	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus minor var. vittulatus Gremli	1881	variety	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus monticola (Lamotte) Druce	1901	species	subsp. monticola	≡ hom.
Rhinanthus nigricans Meinsh.	1878	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus obscurus Stephan	1804	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus pallens Wibel	1799	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus parviflorus Bluff & Fingerh.	1825	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus perrieri Chabert	1899	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus personatus Bég.	1914	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus pratensis Vill.	1786	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus ramosus Schur	1866	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus rigidus Chabert	1899	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus rumelicus subsp. hercynicus (O.Schwarz) Soó	1929	subspecies	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus rusticulus (Chabert) Druce	1908	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus secundus Bréb.	1824	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus spadiceus Wilmott	1940	species	subsp. monticola	= het.
Rhinanthus spadiceus subsp. orcadensis Wilmott	1940	subspecies	subsp. monticola	= het.
Rhinanthus stenophyllus (Schur) Schinz & Thell.	1907	species	subsp. minor	= het., nom. illeg.
Rhinanthus stenophyllus (Schur) Druce	1901	species	subsp. minor	= het.
Rhinanthus stenophyllus var. monticola (Lamotte) Schinz & Thell.	1914	variety	subsp. monticola	≡ hom.
Rhinanthus vachelliae Wilmott	1949	species	subsp. lintonii	= het.
Rhinanthus vulgaris Hill	1756	species	subsp. minor	= het., opus utique oppr.
Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym ; = heterotypic synonym

Distribution and ecology

File:Yellow rattle plants with flowers and seed capsules.jpg

Yellow rattle plants with flowers and seed capsules

Rhinanthus minor is found in Europe, western Russia, western Siberia, northern USA and throughout Canada. The preferred habitat of Rhinanthus minor is dry fields or meadows, where its flowering period is in the summer between May and September,Template:Sfn but it can thrive with semi-natural species-rich water-meadows. It can tolerate a wide range of soil types but does not grow where the soil has a pH less than 5.0. Yellow rattle flowers are pollinated by bumblebees during the summer months; the plant is also capable of self-fertilization.

Yellow rattle is an annual wildflower. It is hemiparasitic, in that it can gain its nutrients by penetrating the roots of neighbouring green plants with its own roots, but is a facultative parasite, in that it acts opportunistically when in contact with a root. The hemiparasitic nature of yellow rattle can result in stunted, unbranched individual specimens.Template:Sfn The plant can associate with many different host species, notably Poaceae (grasses) and Fabaceae (legumes).Template:Sfn

In Ireland and Scotland, yellow rattle is often associated with Machair habitat, which consists of coastal grassland. The seeds are spread effectively by traditional hay-making practices. Farmers seek to remove it since it affects yields by weakening grass; it is an indicator of poor grassland.

Effects on plant community structure

Yellow rattle can change the structure of plant communities through its parasitism.Template:Sfn Vulnerability to attack varies across host taxa, with forbs developing lignified barriers to obstruct the parasite.Template:Sfn

Research, including that at the UK's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, has shown that encouraging it to grow in hay meadows greatly increases biodiversity, by restricting grass growth and thereby allowing other species to thrive. As of 2021 a majority of studies had found positive or neutral effects of the introduction of Rhinanthus spp. on grassland species richness and diversity, with most finding a negative effect on grasses.Template:Sfn

Conservation status

Rhinanthus minor is found in low-lying fields with poor quality soil. It is currently not under threat; as such it is rated as of Least Concern (LC).

Being an annual, it is not found in regularly mown or grazed grassland where the seeds are not provided with an opportunity to spread over the ground. The lack of a seed bank for yellow rattle means that it depends on seed produced from plants during the previous year.

Pasture and hay field infestation

In the northeastern United States, yellow rattle is considered a pest, as it decreases crop yields of grass and hay. Where the plant is found to have infested farmland it has to be suppressed; non-herbicidal strategies for removing it include the application of wood ash and sawdust on affected pastures.Template:Sfn

Uses and cultivation

photograph of a meadow

A traditional pasture in England containing yellow rattle

seeds of yellow rattle

Capsules and seeds

Yellow rattle is used to proactively create or restore wildflower meadows. It is used to reduce the dominance of grasses, when more expensive methods, such as removing the nutrient-rich topsoil, or impractical methods, such as changing the timing and intensity of grazing, cannot be used. This improves the chances of other species of flowers becoming established. According to Natural England, the optimum density of yellow rattle plants needed to enable other species to be introduced is 100 to 200 per m². Studies have shown that the plant's role in maintaining species diversity is through differential growth suppression effects and enhanced soil nutrient recycling.

The yellow rattle seed is sown thinly onto grassland where gaps have been created, or where all the grass has been cut back and the clippings removed.Template:Refn Seeds can be also be introduced by the spreading of green hay. The grass should be kept short until the beginning of March, after which the seedlings become established.

After the yellow rattle plants have germinated and matured, the fruits shed their seeds. The meadow hay is cut and removed to encourage the growth introduced wild flowers. The seed, which is short-lived, is sown in the autumn, using seed harvested that year. The seeds have to remain on or under the ground throughout the cold months of winter in order to germinate in the spring.

Sources

• Template:Cite POWO
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External links

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