Mr. Curtis, in FI. Lond.— Norfolk ; Near Danver Sluice Mrs. Plestow, in 
Sm. Eng. FI. — Wiltshire : In cornfields: Dr. Maton, in Bot. Guide. — 
SCOTLAND. Occasionally about Glasgow : Mr. Hopkirk, in Hook. FI. 
Scot. — IRELAND. About Dublin : Dr. Wade, in Sm. Eng. Flora. 
Annual. — Flowers from May to September. 
Root tapering, fibrous. Stem upright, from 6 inches to a foot, 
or more, high, branched, often bushy, round, striated, leafy, hol- 
low. Leaves dark green, alternate, sessile, triply, and copiously 
wing-cleft (pinnatifid). Segments strap-shaped, pointed, smooth, 
and shining on the under side. Sepals ( leaves of the calyx ) 
somewhat oval, blunt, concave, purple, deciduous, shorter than 
the petals. Petals (fig. 3.) from 6 to 8, of a deep shining crim- 
son, with a black spot at the base of each. Anthers (fig. 4.) dark 
violet. Seeds wrinkled, composing an oblong-egg-shaped head, 
(fig. 5.), not an inch long. 
This is a very pretty annual for the flower border, and if seeds 
of it are sown in the autumn as soon as they are ripe, and again 
in the spring, the plants from these two sowings will enliven the 
garden with their brilliant crimson blossoms from June to Octo- 
ber. Besides the English names given above, it has been called 
Bird's-eye, Red Maythes, Red Chamomile, and Rose-a-rubie. 
Miller informs us, in his Gardener’s Dictionary (1759), that 
great quantities of the flowers of this plant were annually brought 
to London, and sold in the streets by the name of Red Morocco. 
In French it is called goultes de sang ( drops of blood ) ; aile de 
faisan ( pheasant' s-wing ) ; and oeil de perdrix ( partridge' s-eye ). 
