VOL. II.] 



PRIMROSE FAMILY. 



593 



i . Anagallis arvensis L/. Red or Scarlet 



Pimpernel. Poor Man's or Shep- 

 herd's Weather-glass. (Fig. 2824.) 



Anagallis arvensis 1,. Sp. PI. 148. 1753. 



Annual, diffuse, usually much branched; 

 branches 4 / -i2 / long, 4-sided. Leaves ovate or 

 oval, membranous, opposite or rarely in 3*8, 

 sessile or somewhat clasping, obtuse or acutish, 

 3"-io // long, black-dotted beneath; peduncles 

 filiform, > / -i^ / long, recurved in fruit; calyx- 

 lobes keeled, rather rigid, slightly shorter than 

 the crenate glandular-ciliate corolla-segments; 

 flowers scarlet, sometimes white, usually with a 

 darker center, 2 // -3 // broad, opening only in 

 bright weather; capsule glabrous, about 2" in 

 diameter. 



In waste places, Newfoundland to Florida, west 

 to Minnesota, Texas and Mexico, and on the Pacific 

 Coast. Naturalized from Europe. Called also Red 

 Chickweed, Burnet Rose, and Shepherd's Clock. 

 May-Aug. 

 Anagallis arvensis coerulea (Lam.) Ledeb. Fl. Ross. 3: 30. 1846. 



Anagallis coerulea Lam. Fl. Fr. 2: 285. 1778. i 



Flowers blue; corolla-segments glabrous. Reported as sparingly occurring in waste places. 



Probably a distinct species. 



ii. CENTUNCULUS L. Sp. PI. 116. 1753. 



Low annual glabrous erect simple or branched herbs, with alternate small entire sessile 

 or short -petioled leaves, or the lower opposite, and minute solitary axillary flowers. Calyx 

 4-5-parted, persistent, the lobes longer than the corolla. Corolla 4-5-cleft, marcescent, the 

 tube subglobose, the lobes entire, acute, spreading. Stamens 4-5, inserted on the throat of 

 the corolla; filaments short, distinct; anthers ovate or cordate, obtuse; stigma capitate. 

 Ovules numerous, amphitropous. Capsule globose, circum- j\. 



scissile, many-seeded. Seeds minute, flat on the back. 

 [Latin, diminutive of cento, a patch.] 



Three species, of wide geographic distribution. In addition 

 to the following, another occurs in Florida. 



i. Centunculus minimus L,. Chaffweed. False 



Pimpernel. (Fig. 2825.) 

 Centunculus minimus L. Sp. PI. 116. 1753. 



Simple or branched, very slender, i / -6 / high. Leaves 

 spatulate, obovate or oblong, short-petioled, obtuse or acut- 

 ish, 2 // -4 // long, i // -2 // wide; flowers sessile or very nearly 

 so in the axils, shorter than the leaves, mostly 4-parted, 

 i // -2 // broad; calyx-lobes linear or linear-lanceolate, acumi- 

 nate; corolla pink; capsule shorter than the calyx. 



In moist soil, Illinois and Minnesota to British Columbia, 

 south to Florida, Texas and Mexico. Also in Europe and South 

 America. April-Sept. 



12. DODECATHEON L. Sp. PL 144. 1753. 



Glabrous scapose perennial herbs, with entire or repand basal leaves. Flowers large or 

 middle-sized in involucrate umbels terminating scapes. Calyx deeply 5-lobed, persistent, 

 the lobes at first reflexed. Corolla 5-parted, the lobes reflexed, slightly unequal, imbricated, 

 the tube very short, thickened at the throat. Stamens 5, inserted on the throat of the 

 corolla; filaments short, flat, monadelphous, connivent into a cone, exserted; anthers linear 

 or lanceolate, connivent, attached by their bases to the filaments. Ovary ovoid or subglo- 

 bose, superior; ovules numerous, amphitropous; style filiform, exserted; stigma simple. 

 Capsule oblong or cylindric, erect, 5-6-valved at the apex or splitting to the base. Seeds 

 numerous, minute; the testa punctate. [Greek, twelve gods; name used by Theophrastus 

 for some different plant.] 



About 10 species, natives of North America and northeastern Asia. Besides the following, 

 some 8 others occur in western and northwestern North America. 



38 



