214 



PIMPERNEL. 



entire, sprinkled with purplish dots beneath. The flowers are 

 solitary, axillary, opposite, on long cylindrical peduncles. The 

 calyx consists of five lanceolate, acute, spreading segments, 

 keeled beneath. The corolla is rotate, bright scarlet, with a 

 deep purplish tinge at the base, composed of five ovate petals* 

 connected by the claws, the margins crenate with glandular hairs. 

 The stamens are five, erect, with purplish hairy filaments attached 

 to a prominent disk below the germen, and yellow, simple, cordate 

 anthers. The germen is globose, supporting a cylindrical, rather 

 oblique style, as long as the stamens, tipped with a capitate 

 greenish stigma. The fruit, suspended on a recurved stalk, is a 

 globose, one-celled capsule, embraced by the persistent calyx, 

 opening transversely all round, and containing several angular 

 seeds. Plate 36, fig. 2, (a) magnified view of a petal, shewing 

 the glandular hairs of the margin ; (b) stamens magnified ; (c) 

 pistil ; (d) capsule, natural size. 



This pretty herbaceous plant is frequent in corn-fields, sandy 

 places, and in rich garden soil, flowering from June till August. 



The generic name is derived from a,\u,yiho>,u y to laugh , 

 because, according to Dioscorides and Pliny, the plant removes 

 obstructions of the liver and spleen, which induce sadness ; or 

 as some suppose on account of the beauty of its flowers. 



Pimpernel is one of the Jlores horologicce, its flowers expand- 

 ing regularly about ten minutes past seven, and closing about a 

 quarter past two. It is also hygrometrical, for on the approach 

 of rain, or when there is much moisture in the atmosphere, the 

 flowers either do not open, or close up again. On this account 

 it is called provincially poor maris weather glass. 



Another British Pimpernel, but scarcely distinct as a species, 

 is the A. ccerulea, distinguished by its blue flowers, and the 

 margin of the corolla scarcely at all glandulose. It grows in 

 corn-fields, but is much less frequent than its congener. The 

 Bog Pimpernel, {A. tenella,) with its creeping filiform stem, 

 roundish, ovate, stalked leaves, and rose-coloured flowers, is very 

 different from either, and might perhaps form a new genus. 



According to Bechstein, the Pimpernel is much relished by 

 sheep, and it was formerly in great repute for curing the gid- 



* The petals, or more correctly the divisions of the corolla, are nominally 

 five, but in rich soil they vary to six and seven ; with sometimes a corre- 

 sponding increase of stamens. 



