Rhinanthus minor, L.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1972, Flora Europaea. Volume 3. Diapensiacea to Myoporaceae, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press : 277

2. R. minor L. , Amoen. Acad. 3: 54 (1756)

( Alectorolophus minor (L.) Wimmer & Grab. ; inch R. borealis (Sterneck) Druce , R. rusticulus (Chab.) Druce , R. nigricans Meinsh. ).

Stem 5-50 cm, sometimes with black streaks. Leaves (2—)5—15 mm wide, ovate-oblong to linear-lanceolate, crenate-serrate (the uppermost sometimes dentate), rather dark green. Bracts longer than to slightly shorter than calyx, triangular, glabrous or somewhat scabrid. Calyx glabrous or puberulent. Corolla 13-15 mm; tube straight; throat more or less open. 2« = 22. M ost o f Europe, but rare in the Mediterranean region. All except Az BI Co Cr Sa Sb Si Tu. Ecotypic variants:

Autumnal: var. stenophyllus Schur , Enum. Pl. Transs. 511 (1866).

Aestival: var. elatior Schur , loc. cit. (1866).

Vernal: type of the species.

Montane: R. crista-galli var. drummond-hayi Buchanan-White, Scott . Naturalist 8: 324 (1886). In addition to the usual ecotypic variation this species shows much variation in other characters. Plants with puberulent calyx are commonest in northern areas or at high altitudes, and are sometimes separated as R. borealis (Stemeck) Druce , Ann. Scott . Nat. Hist. 1901: 178 (1901). This character, however, shows little correlation with others, and as mixed populations of plants, some with pubescent and some with glabrous calyx, are common (as are, in some regions, plants with calyx puberulent when young but later glabrescent), taxonomic separation does not seem to be possible. R. personatus (Behrendsen) Béguinot , Sched. FI. Ital. Exsicc. ser. 3, 12: 67 (1914), appears to differ from 2 only in having the throat of the corolla more or less closed.