NAGALLIS ARVENSIS. PlMPERNEL. 



ANAGALLIS Linnai, Gen. Plant. Pentandria Monogynia. 



Rail. Syn. Gen. 18. Herbje pructu sicco singulari, flore monopetalo. 

 ANAGALLIS foliis indivifis caule procumbente. Lin. Spec. Plant. 211. 

 ANAGALLIS phoeniceo flore. Bauhln. Pin. 252. 

 ANAGALLIS mas. Fufchil. 18. Gerard, emac. 617. Parklnfon. 558. Oeder. Flor. Ban. tab. 



Rail. Syn. 282. Hudfon. J 3. Haller. Hift. 621. 626. Scopoli. Fl. CarnloL 139. 



RADIX fimplex, fibrofa, annua. 



CAULIS ramofus, proftratus, quadrangularis, lasvis, 

 fubtortuofus, fig. 1. 



FOLIA oppofita, feflilia, cordata, glabra, Julius ftunffls 

 fufcls notata. 



PEDUNCULI oppofiti, foliis fere duplo longiores, 

 inflexi. 



CALYX perfiftens, quinquepartitus, fegmentis trian- 

 gularibus, alatis, membranaceis, fig. 2. 



COROLLA monopetala, quinquepartita, laciniis ro- ¥ 

 tundis, coccineis, ad bafin purpureis, mar- | 

 gine crenatis, fubpilofis, fig. 3, 4. ■% 



% 



STAMINA : Fil amenta quinque, erecta, pllofijfima, f 

 (pill articulatl I) fuperne purpurea : Anthers % 

 oblongae, biloculares, flavas, infidentes,;%\ 5, 6. I 



% 

 % 



PISTILLUM : Geemen rotundum : Stylus filifor- | 

 mis, obllquus, longitudine filamentorum : ¥ 

 Stigma fubrotundum, extra clrculumjiamlnum. | 

 locatum, fig. 7. % 



% 



PERICARPIUM: Capsula rotunda, nitida, quin- | 



quenervis, fubdiaphana, circumciffa, fufca, y 



fig- 8- * 



,SEMINA plurima, angulofa, fufca, fig. 9. % 



ROOT fimple, fibrous, and annual. 



STALK branched, procumbent, quadrangular, fmooth, 

 and a little twifted, fig. 1. 



LEAVES oppofite, feffile, heart-fhaped, fmooth, un- 

 derneath dotted with brown. 



PEDUNCLES oppofite, nearly twice the length of 

 the leaves, bending downwards. 



CALYX perfifting, divided into five fegments, the 

 fegments triangular, and membranous at the 

 edges, fig. 2. 



COROLLA monopetalous, quinquepartite, the lacinise 

 fcarlet, purplifh at bottom, the edges flightly 

 notched, and hairy, fig. 3, 4. 



STAMINA : five Filaments, upright, and very hairy, 

 (the hairs , when magnified, jointed I) at top 

 purplifh: the Anthers oblong, bilocular, 

 yellow, and fitting on the filaments, fig. 5, 6. 



PISTILLUM : the Germen round: the Style filiform, 

 thejlengthofthe filaments :|the Stigma round- 

 ifh, placed without the circle of the Stamina, fig. 7. 



SEED-VESSEL, a Capsule, round, mining, brown, 

 flightly tranfparent, having five nerves, di- 

 viding tranfverfly into two equal parts, fig. 8. 



SEEDS numerous, brown, and angular, fig. 9. 



more 



NATURE feems to have taken uncommon pains in the formation of the flowers of this little plant ; fewpofTefs 

 ore livelinefs of colour, or greater delicacy of ftru&ure ; this muft be fufEciently obvious to every common ob- 

 ferver ; but when its minute parts come to be viewed by the microfcope, we are charmed with beauties altogether 

 novel and unexpe&ed ; we then find that the edges of the flowers, which to the naked eye appear a little uneven, 

 or hairy, are furnifhed with a number of little glands, placed on foot-ftalks ; and that the hairs of the filaments, 

 which partly tend to diftinguim^ this genus, are regularly jointed: the pifiillum, which generally rifes upright 



falls, or there be much moifture in the air, the flowers quickly clofe themfelves up, to fecure the inclofed anthers 

 and ftigma, from having their functions deftroyed. From this property, which it has in common with many plants 

 of the fame clafs, it has acquired the name of the Shepherd's, or Poor Man's Weather-glafs — They have remarked, 

 that if the flowers be open in a morning, it will prove a fine day, if {hut, the contrary. 



The fmall Birds (Pafieres Linnet.) are fond of the feeds of this plant : and according to experiments made by 

 fome of Linn;eus's pupils, it appears that Kine and Goats feed on it. 



It is very common in gardens and corn-fields, flowering all the Summer. 



A variety with four leaves at a joint, fometimes occurs in a rich foil ; but as it differs in no other part, and is a 

 mere variety, it fcarcely deferves a diftincl: figure. It is alfo found with blue, and fometimes with white flowers : 

 but we have not obferved either of thefe varieties near London. 



