294 THE PRIMROSE FAMILY, _ [Anagallis. 
ments. Corolla 5-cleft, rotate or campanulate. Stamens 5. Capsule 
opening transversely by a circular fissure across the middle, _ 
A small genus, chiefly from the Mediterranean region and central Asia, — 
with one South American species. 
Annual. Corolla rotate,blueorred ._. Sie te »— « «6 1. A. arvensis, 
Perennial. Corolla campanulate, of a delicate pale pink . J . 2, A. tenella. 
1, &. arvensis, Linn. (fig. 658). Common Pimpernel, Shepherd’s or 
Poor Man’s Weather-glass.—A neat, much branched, procumbent an- 
nual, 6 inches to near a foot long, with opposite, broadly ovate, sessile, 
and entire leaves. Pedicels considerably longer than the leaves, and rolled 
back as the capsule ripens. Calyx-divisions pointed. Corolla rotate, 
usually of a bright red within, but occasionally pale pink, or white, or 
bright blue. 3 
A very common weed of cultivation, in cornfields, gardens, waste places, 
etc., all over Europe and Russian Asia, except the extreme north, and has 
accompanied man in his migrations over a great part of the globe. //. the 
whole season. The blue variety, by some ranked as a species (4. cerulea, 
Sm.), is as common in central and southern Europe as the red one, but with 
us it is rare. ; 
2, A. tenella, Linn. (fig.659). Bog Pimpernel.—A delicate, slender, 
creeping perennial, only a few inches long, with very small, orbicular, 
opposite leaves. Flowers very elegant, of a pale pink, on long slender 
pedicels. Segments of the calyx pointed but short. Corolla narrow cam- 
panulate, of a very delicate texture, and deeply 5-cleft. Stamens erect in 
the centre, with very woolly filaments. 
On wet, mossy banks, and bogs, chiefly along rivulets, throughout 
western Europe, extending eastward to north-western Germany, Tyrol, and 
here and there round the Mediterranean. Spread over the greater part of 
Britain, but chiefly in the west from Cornwall to Shetland, and in Ireland. 
Fl, summer. 
VIII. CENTUNCULUS. CENTUNCLE. 
Small, slender annuals, with minute axillary flowers, differing from 
Anagallis in their alternate leaves, and in the parts of the flower being in 
fours instead of in fives. 
Besides our own species, the genus contains but very few, all from 
America. 
1. C. minimus, Linn. (fig. 660). Small Centuncle, Chaffweed.—Stem 
often under an inch and seldom 3 inches high, branched at the base only. 
Leaves ovate, 1 to 2 lines long. Flowers almost sessile, shorter than the 
leaves. Calyx-divisions linear. Corolla pink, very minute. Capsule 
opening transversely as in Anagallis. 3 
In moist, sandy or gravelly places, ranging over Europe, Russian Asia, 
northern and even tropical America, and Australia, but everywhere thinly 
scattered or frequently overlooked. Local, but indicated in many localities 
in England, and Scotland; rare in Ireland, 7, summer, 
IX. SAMOLUS. SAMOLE. 
Herbs, with alternate leaves and flowers, in terminal racemes, Calyx 
