Topic: yellow rattle

[calendula]

I was reading recently about yellow rattle and how, if planted amongst grass it actually helps stop the growth of the lawn, so needing less attention

anyone know how and why that happens - would be useful in a meadow methinks and as I am planning and preparing one as we speak I think this plant might be useful

any info appreciated  :)

[Carol]

Think this is in the wrong place.  I thought I was going to be reading about a snake?  What is yellow rattle!!

 :)

[Georgie]

It's a wild flower.

G x

[Toadspawn]

It is a parasitic plant on the roots of grasses. I think the Latin name is Orobranche. As such it is a good thing to have in a wild flower meadow because it weakens the grass and allows the less competitive plants to grow and flower.
I do not think it would be of use in a lawn.

[calendula]

thanks toadspawn, this is what I was understanding, so it is like a vampire plant  :o

why do plants develop this ability is it just part of the survival of the fittest pursuit and do you know if other members of the same family do this - pretty plant though and would be perfect for my meadow  :)

[Grandma]

 I'm with Carol!

Yellow rattle in 'Wildlife' - I thought you had a rattlesnake in your garden!

Thank goodness it's only grass - just posted in the wrong place! Phew! xxx

[calendula]

not the wrong place at all - this section is wildlife AND wildflowers (it says so underneath the main title  ;))

[Grandma]

Sorry, Calendula, I'm wrong again - (there's a surprise!)

Still happy it's not a snake!  :-*

[Toadspawn]

Hello Calendula
There are quite a lot of plants which are parasitic on other plants. They often have a poorly developed root system and cannot grow normally and obtain nutrients from the soil. They 'tap into' the xylem/phloem of the host plant to obtain their nutrients. Sometimes the host plant is killed, mostly it survives. The most well known parasitic plant is Mistletoe.
Sorry, I made a mistake, Yellow Rattle is Rhinanthus. Orobranche is another family of parasitic plants.   

[calendula]

thanks again toadspawn, respectful of your knowledge - it's NO is labiatae, does that means the leaves have a nice smell, do you know

grandma - it was georgie who pointed out the wildflower section to me - I love snakes but I imagine it's name 'rattle' comes from the seed pods, although the head of flowers does somewhat resemble a rattle snake tail

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

yellow rattle is in the Orobanche family, but it does look like a bit like a dead nettle, which used to be in the Labiate family. Rhinanthus means Nose Flower  ;D (i hope)

[Toadspawn]

Hello RT
My wild flower book gives Yellow Rattle as Rhinanthus crista-galli. It is a member of the Figwort Family and only lives on grasses. It has yellow flowers and the leaves are in pairs alternating on the stem.
Orobanche is the Broomrape which is also a parasitic plant. It is often specific to one host plant but Common Orobanche grows freely on many hosts. . It does not posess chlorophyl and may be brown - pink - yellow - mauve in colour. It does not have any true leaves.