Irish wildflowers sitemap
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Yellow Rattle Short spike of yellow 2-lipped flowers. Upper lip sometimes with 2 short violet teeth. Fruit is bladder-like, flat seeds rattle when dry. Narrow toothed leaves in opposite pairs. Stem hard, sometimes blackish. Erect, more/less hairless plant. Height: 10-30cm. Semi-parasitic. Very variable, several subspecies recognised. Can be abundant on semi-natural grassland and dunes, declining in some areas. Included in many wildflower seed mixtures. Similar: Yellow Bartsia, Parentucellia viscose. Bright yellow flowers in terminal raceme. Stalkless leaves, slightly toothed. Sticky, hairy. Damp arable land, moist heaths. Rare, locally frequent in SW Ireland. 
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Above: Yellow Rattle. Derrynane, Co.Kerry. July 2006