WILD FLOWERS RED 



the roots of which this uncanny plant absorbs its 

 nourishment. 



RED, OR SCARLET PIMPERNEL. POOR MAN'S 

 OR SHEPHERD'S WEATHER-GLASS. RED 

 CHICKWEED. SHEPHERD'S CLOCK. 

 BURNET ROSE 



Anagallis arvensis. Primrose Family. 



The neat little terra-cotta or brick-coloured flowers 

 of this common, low-spreading plant have a popu- 

 lar reputation for forecasting rain by closing their petals 

 in advance. The Pimpernel is found in sandy soil 

 in waste places, from May to August, where it grows 

 annually from four to twelve inches in length. The 

 ancients used this plant as an antidote for poison, and 

 it has been recommended as a local remedy for sores. 

 The twisted, square stalk is smooth and shiny, and 

 lies upon the ground. The small, oval leaves are 

 usually arranged in alternate pairs along the stalk. 

 They are rather loose-textured, have an entire margin, 

 and are somewhat clasping. The under side is 

 speckled with numerous fine, black dots. The pretty 

 five-parted, wheel-shaped flower varies greatly in colour, 

 from flesh to scarlet. The divisions are finely toothed 

 at the apex, and the five purple, hairy stamens are 

 tipped with yellow. The green calyx has five tiny 

 grooved parts. The flowers are set singly in slender 

 stems which spring from the axils of the leaves. They 

 are really very sensitive to the light, and only open in 

 the bright sun, closing quickly whenever it is obscured. 

 Anagallis is Greek, meaning delightful. The plant 



19 



