Rattling in the wind

The flowers on the sandy heaths across the river are at their best just now. These are the seed pods of the yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor. When they are fully ripe the seeds inside rattle in the wind, hence the common name.

It is a pretty little flower but it has a sinister side to it; the roots of the plant invade the roots of nearby grasses and steal their nutrients weakening the grasses in the process.

The generic name Rhinanthus means snout flower and is based on the shape of the flowers which resemble the hooked pendulous nose of a fairy tale witch.