ANAGALLIS ARVENSIS
Family and Genus:- See- PRIMULACEAE
Common Names:- Scarlet/blue pimpernel
Homotypic Synonyms:- Anagallis parviflora, Anagallis phoenicea, Anagallis
platyphylla.
Meaning:- Anagallis (Gr) Unpretentious or delighting.
Arvensis (L) Of the cultivated/ploughed field.
General description:- Annual or biennial, rarely short-lived perennial.
Stems:-
1) 6-50(-90) cm, quadrangular, diffuse, ascending to erect.
Leaves:-
1) 8-18(-25) x 4-10(-18) mm, opposite or rarely whorled, sessile, both surfaces
glandular, margins, scarious.
a) upper, narrower than the lower, ovate to lanceolate.
Flowers:-
1) Solitary in the axils of the upper leaves.
2) Pedicels, 3-35 mm, at anthesis usually exceeding subtending leaves, recurved in
fruit.
3) Calyx, 3·5-5 mm, divided nearly to base; lobes narrowly lanceolate, apiculate,
not concealing the corolla in bud.
4) Corolla, (2-)4-7(-10) mm, rotate, lobed almost to base; blue, red or various paler
colours;
a) lobes, 4-7 mm, overlapping, ovate to elliptical, entire to dentate-crenate, cilia,
usually numerous, always 3-celled, with a globose terminal cell.
5) Stamens, 0·5-1·5 mm, when dry 0·2-1 mm.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule, 4-6 mm, globose.
2) Seeds, 12-45.
Key features:-
1) Corolla, (2-)4-7(-10) mm.
2) Stamens, (when dry) 0·2-1 mm.
3) Cilia of the petals, numerous, always 3-celled.
Habitat:- Dry open shrubby vegetation, olive groves, meadows, field margins, open
woodland, coastal habitats. 0-1200 m.
Distribution:- A widespread and familiar plant in many parts of Europe and western
Asia. Widespread and common on Crete.
Flowering time:- Mar-June.
Photos by:- Steve Lenton
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
