SPECIES DESCRIPTION
ANAGALLIS FOEMINA
Family and Genus:- See- PRIMULACEAE
Common Names:- Poorman's weatherglass, Blue pimpernel.
Homotypic Synonyms:- Anagallis arvensis subsp. foemina, Anagallis
caerulea.
Meaning:- Anagallis (Gr) Unpretentious or delighting.
Foemina (L) Feminine.
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.
a) upper, narrower than the lower, usually lanceolate.
2) Pedicels, at anthesis usually shorter than the subtending leaves, both surfaces
glandular, margins, scarious.
Flowers:-
1) In the axils of the upper leaves.
2) Pedicels, 3-35 mm, at anthesis, usually shorter than subtending leaf.
recurved in fruit.
3) Calyx, 3·5-5 mm, divided nearly to the base;
a) lobes, narrowly lanceolate, apiculate. concealing the corolla in bud.
4) Corolla, (2-)4-7(-10) mm, blue;
a) lobes, cuneate, dentate or crenate to denticulate, cilia, scarcely overlapping,
the upper margin withabsent or few, 4- or rarely 3-celled, terminal cell
elongate.
5) Stamens, 0·5-1·5 mm, when dry 0·2-1 mm.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule, 4-6 mm.
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, absent or few, usually 4-celled.
Habitat:- Dry open shrubby vegetation, fallow fields, olive groves. 0-500(1100) m.
Distribution:- Scattered throughout Greece Though true distribution uncertain
because of confusion with the blue form of A. arvensis. A widespread weed of warm-
temperate regions. across the Mediterranean. Rare on Crete known from only a few
location.
Flowering time:- Late Mar-June.
Photos by:- Steve Lenton
