106 FAMILIAR WILD FLOWERS. 



drawn-up specimen; the plant ordinarily nestles more closely 

 to the ground, and varies from three to five inches in height. 

 The stems are prostrate and spreading, branching a good 

 deal at the base. The leaves of the lesser red-rattle are 

 very deeply cut into lateral and numerous segments. The 

 calyx is smooth on the exterior, but woolly within at the 

 mouth, broadly inflated, and marked over with a fine 

 reticulation of veins. At its summit it is cut into five 

 unequal lobes of a foliaceous or leafy character. The 

 corolla is tubular Avithin the calyx, and opens out at its 

 extremity into two very distinct parts, an upper lip of very 

 simple form, dome-like, but compressed at the sides, and a 

 lower lip flatly expanded and cut into three very distinct 

 lobes, forming altogether both in form and colour a very 

 quaint and attractive-looking flower. The stamens are 

 four in number, two being longer than the others ; one 

 pair has numerous hairs near the summit, the other pair 

 being perfectly smooth. 



We have already figured a near relation of the present 

 plant the yellow- rattle or Rhinanthus crista-galli. These 

 plants all derived their names from the fact that 

 as the seeds ripen they may be heard rattling within 

 their capsules when the plant is shaken. "There be 

 two kindes of rattel grasse, one which beareth redde floures 

 and leaves finely jagged or snipt, the other hath pale yellow 

 floures and long narrow leaves snipt like a sawe round 

 about the edges. The first kind hath leaves very smal, 

 jagged, or dented, spreade abroade upo the ground. The 

 stalkes be weake and smal, whereof some lye along trayling 

 upon the ground and do beare the little leaves, the rest do 

 growe upright as high as a man's hand, and upon them 

 growe the floures from the midle of the stemme round about 



