Yellow-rattle | Figwort family |
Rhinanthus minor | Scrophulariaceae |
Yellow-rattle is a classic flower of wild meadows, but recently has become less abundant due to modern agriculture. It is a semi-parasite, taking water and minerals from the roots of other plants, particularly grass, so is sown increasingly these days in wild flower meadows to suppress grass and allow other wild flowers to flourish. The name of the plant derives from the rattling of the ripe seeds within the dried-out, inflated calyx.