Plant Name
Scientific Name: Anagallis arvensis
Common Name: Scarlet Pimpernel
Plant Characteristics
Duration: Annual, Biennial
Growth Habit: Herb/Forb
Arizona Native Status: Introduced. This naturalized plant is native to Europe.
Habitat: Riparian. This attractive, but weedy plant is found in washes, along streams, and in irrigated areas like lawns, pastures, and fields.
Flower Color: Pinkish orange, Scarlet, White, Magenta
Flowering Season: Spring
Height: To 1 foot (30 cm) tall
Description: The less than 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) wide flowers have 5 rounded lobes that are joined together and a bright magenta color at the base. The flowers are only open during dry, sunny weather. The leaves are simple, green, glabrous, sessile, oval to egg-shaped, and opposite or in whorls of 3 around the stems. The stems are green, fleshy, hairless, square in cross-section, and mostly trailing or sprawling.
The similar subspecies Poorman's Weatherglass (Anagallis arvensis ssp. foemina) has blue flowers.
Special Characteristics
Poisonous – The plants are poisonous and contain a variety of toxins. They are mainly a danger to grazing animals.
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Dilleniidae
Order: Primulales
Family: Primulaceae – Primrose family
Genus: Anagallis L. – pimpernel
Species: Anagallis arvensis L. – scarlet pimpernel
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