ANAGALLIS CjERULEA. BLUE PIMPERNEL.
ANAGALLIS ceerulea) foliis ovatis sessilibus subtus punctatis, corolla marginibus dentatis vix glandulosis.
ANAGALLIS cterulea. Schr. Fl. Lips. p. 5. Abbott Fl. Bedf. p. 46. Smith Engl. Bot. t. 1823. Hqffni.
Germ. ed. 2 . vol. 1 . P . I. p. 98. (Ed. Fl. Dan. 1. 1570. Decand. Fl. Fr. cd. 3. vol. 3. p . 431.
FL Gall. Syn. p. 204. Pers. Syh. PI. vol. 1. p. 173. Hook. Fl. Scot. P . I. p. 73.
ANAGALLIS femina. Vill. Delph.vol.2. j). 461. R a iiS yn .p . 282. Female or blue-flowered Pimpernel.
ANAGALLIS arvensis, 5. Huds. Angl. p. 87.
ANAGALLIS arvensis, var. 2 . With. Bot. Arr. ed.4i. vol. 2. p. 234.
ANAGALLIS arvensis, «. flore cseruleo. Wïlld. Sp. P I. vol. 1. p . 821.
ANAGALLIS arvensis, y. Smith Fl. B rit.p . 230.
ANAGALLIS caule procumbente, foliis ovato-lanceolatis, petalis serratis, calycis foliolis subulatis. Hall.
Helv. n. 626, 1
Class an d Ord er . PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA.
[Natural O rd er. PRIMULACEÆ, Decand., Hook. LYSIMACHIÆ, Juss. ANAGALLIDEÆ, Richard.]
Char. Or d in is . Calyx divisus, quinque- raro quadri-fidus, regularis, persistens. Corolla monopetala, hypogyna, regularis,
limbo quinque- raro quadri-fido. Stamina epipetala, tot quot lacinim limbi, iisdem opposita! Germen monoloculare. Stylus
unicus. Stigma capitatum. Capsula valvata. Receptaculum centrale, liberum. Semina numerosa, peltata, albuminosa.
Embryo inclusus, umbilico parailelus. Radicula vaga.— Herbce. Folia seepius opposita, nunc verticillata velsparsa. Br.
Character of t h e Ord e r . Calyx divided, five- rarely four-cleft, regular, persistent. Corolla monopetalous, hypogy-
nous, regular, limb five- rarely four-cleft. Stamens inserted upon the corolla, as many in number as the segments of the
limb, and placed opposite to them. Germen one. Style one. Stigma capitate. Capsule valvular. Receptacle central,
free. Seeds numerous, peltate, furnished, with an albumen. Embryo surrounded by albumen, transverse. Radicle without
any precise direction.— Herbaceous. Leaves generally opposite, sometimes whorled or scattered. Br.
G en . C har. Calyx quinque-partitus. Corolla rotata. Stamina hirsuta. Capsula circumscissa.
G e n . Ch a r . Calyx five-partite. Corolla rotate. Stamens hairy. Capsule bursting, all round transversely.
Radix parva, fibrosa, annua.
Caulis ramosus, ereclus, vel basi procumbens, debilis, glaber,
quadrangularis, ramis oppositis, simplicibus.
Folia opposita, ovata, sessilia, obtusiuscula, patentia, inte-
%:{ gerrima, glabra, trinervia, subtus punctis ferrugineis
;V ; notata, suprema conferta.
Flores 'pulcherrime cærulei, axillares, oppositi, longe pe-
dunculati.
Pedunculi subbiunciales, primum incurvi, demum erecti et
patentes, fructiferi recurvati.
Calyx quinquepartitus, persistens, segmentis patentibus, lan-
ceolato-acuminatis, nervosis, dorso subdentato, viridi,
marginibus diaphanis, subintegerrimis.
Coroli a monopetala, quinquepartita, laciniis horizontaliter
patentibus, obovato-rotundatis, concavis, basi cöcci-
$1 neis. marginibus dentatis, parce glandulosis.
Stamina- quinque:' Filamenta pulcherrime hirsuta, pilis, sub
lente, articulatis, purpurascentibus, sursum incrassatis:
Antheræ ôblongæ, fiavæ.
PlSTlLLUM : Germen sphæricum, viride : Stylus staminibus
brevior, filiformis : Stigma capitatum.
P e ric.yrpium : Capsula exacte sphærica, flavo-fusca, glabra,
liueis longitudinalibus quinque notata, apice stylo ter-
mmata, demum circumscissa.
Receptaculum centrale, liberum, magnum, spongiosum.
Semina receptaculo immersa, subrotundata, subpeltata, basi
' angusta, fusca, minute tuberculata: Albumen carno-
v,sum.
E mbryo albumine immersus, transversalis, cylindricus.
Root small, fibrous, annual.
Stem branched, erect, or slightly procumbent at the base,
weak, glabrous, quadrangular, the branches opposite,
simple.;
L eaves opposite, ovate, sessile, rather obtuse, patent, entire,
glabrous, three-nerved, marked beneath with ferruginous
dots, the upper ones crowded.
F lowers of a bright blue,' axillary, opposite, borne upon
long'footstalks.
Footstalks about two inches in length, curved at-first, afterwards
erect or patent, and again recurved when
bearing fruit.
Calyx divided into five segments, persistent, the segments
patent, between lanceolate and acuminate, nerved,
somewhat toothed a t the back, green, the margins
pellucid, almost entire.
Corolla monopetalous, five-cleft, the segments horizontally
spreading, obovato-rotundate, concave, scarlet at their
bases, the margins toothed,'sparingly glandular.
Stamens five: Filaments beautifully hirsute, the hairs, under
the microscope, appearing articulated, purple', thickened
upwards: Anthers oblong, yellow.
P is t il : the Germen spherical, green: the Style shorter
than the stamens, filiform: the Stigma capitate.
Se ed -vessel : a capsule exactly spherical, yellowish-brown,
glabrous, marked with five longitudinal lines, terminated’with
the style at the apex, dividing transversely
into two equal portions.
Receptacle central, free, large, spongy.
Seeds immersed in the receptacle, roundish, somewhat peltate,
narrow at their base, brown, minutely tubercu-
lated: Albumen fleshy.
Embryo surrounded on all sides by the albumen, transverse,
cylindrical.
Fig- C Flower. Fig. 2. Segment of the corolla. (Fig. 3. Segment of the corolla of Anagallis arvehsis, to compare
withihat of A. ceerulea.) Fig. 4 and 5. Stamens. Fig. 6. Hair from the filaments. Fig. 7. Calyx, including the
pistil. Fig. 8. Capsule (nat. size). Fig. 9. Capsule opening, and showing the situation of the seeds in the receptacle.
pig. 10. Single seed. Fig. 1 1 .. The same cut open vertically, to show the albumen and embryo:—all, except Jig. 8, more
With the view that others may form their own opinions as to the specific difference between Anagallis ceerulea and
. arvensis, I have represented on the same plate the segment of a corolla o f each; for it is in the corolla only, and in its margin,
that I am able to discover any character of distinction whatever. In the A. ceerulea, besides the difference in colour, the
ma,rg>r? ,s toothed and scarcely glandular, in the common species the margin is obscurely, very bluntly and broadly crenate,
p i beautifully fringed with minute pedunculated glands. These marks I have found to be constant in many specimens be-
^onging to the two species which I have examined and compared together both in England and Scotland. With regard to
e oi m or their stems, their leaves, and their calycine segments, they offer no difference of appearance, and they equally
possess that degre^.f susceptibility which makes the flowers close a t the approach of damp and rainy weather.
ie Blue Pimpernel, though much scarcer than the Red one, is found in similar situations to it. It is to be met with in
severa parts of Suffolk and Norfolk. The specimen here figured was gathered by J. E. Bicheno, Esq. at Wooten Fields,
em ingdon. It grows likewise in Scotland, about Glasgow and Lanark, and on the banks of the river Tay, near Delvine.
i t flowers through the summer months.