Anagallis arvensis

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Scarlet pimpernel
Flowers March 2008-19.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Primulaceae
Genus: Anagallis
Species:
A. arvensis
Binomial name
Anagallis arvensis
L.
Synonyms

Lysimachia arvensis(L.) U.Manns & Anderb.

Azure-blue Anagallis arvensis, a blue form Anagallis-arvensis-Horashim2014-Zachi-Evenor01.jpg
Azure-blue Anagallis arvensis, a blue form

Anagallis arvensis (syn. Lysimachia arvensis), commonly known as the scarlet pimpernel, red pimpernel, red chickweed, poor man's barometer, poor man's weather-glass, [1] shepherd's weather glass or shepherd's clock, is a species of low-growing annual plant with brightly coloured flowers, [2] most often scarlet but also bright blue and sometimes pink. The native range of the species is Europe and Western Asia and North Africa. [3] The species has been distributed widely by humans, either deliberately as an ornamental flower or accidentally. [4] A. arvensis is now naturalised almost worldwide, with a range that encompasses the Americas, Central and East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Malesia, the Pacific Islands, Australasia and Southern Africa. [5] [6] [7]

Contents

Traditionally included in the primrose family Primulaceae, the genus Anagallis was placed in the family Myrsinaceae [8] until that family in turn was included in Primulaceae in the APG III system. The genus Anagallis is included in Lysimachia by some authors. [9]

This common European plant is generally considered a weed and is an indicator of light soils, though it grows opportunistically in clay soils as well. The origin of the name pimpernel comes from late Middle English pympernele [1400–50], derived from Middle French pimprenelle, from Old French piprenelle, and ultimately from Vulgar Latin *piperīnella (piper 'pepper' + -īn- '-ine' + -ella diminutive suffix).

The flower serves as the emblem of the fictional hero the Scarlet Pimpernel.

Description

When found as a summer annual, the scarlet pimpernel has a low-growing creeping habit, but as a winter annual, it forms a half-rosette with an upright stem. It has weak sprawling stems with square cross-section growing to about 5–30 centimetres (2–12 in) long. They bear bright green, soft, ovate sessile leaves in opposite pairs. The orange, red or blue, radially symmetric flowers, about 10–15 millimetres (0.4–0.6 in) in diameter, are produced singly in the leaf axils from spring to autumn. The petal margins are somewhat crenate and have small glandular hairs. The stamens have lollipop hairs and therefore attract a variety of pollinators, especially flies, but the flowers are also capable of autopollination. The dehiscent capsule fruits ripen from August to October in the northern hemisphere. The weight of the fruiting body bends the stem, and the seeds are transported by the wind or rain. Blue-flowered plants (A. arvensis Forma azurea) are common in some areas, such as the Mediterranean region, and should not be confused with the related blue pimpernel, Anagallis foemina , sometimes Anagallis arvensis ssp. foemina. In 2007, a molecular phylogenetic study showed that Anagallis foemina is more closely related to Anagallis monelli than to Anagallis arvensis, and should be treated as a separate species. [10] The taxonomy has however not yet been resolved and various authorities propose either the subspecies Anagallis arvensis subsp. foemina (Mill.) Schinz & Thell, or the species Anagallis foemina Mill. [11] The plant has a diploid chromosome count of 2n=40. [12]

Scarlet pimpernel flowers open only when the sun shines, and even close in overcast conditions. [1] This habit leads to names such as "shepherd's weather glass". It has been observed along the verges of salted roads, creating a broad red band along the roadside. [13]

Scarlet pimpernel has a wide variety of flower colours. The petals of the type arvensis are bright red to minium-coloured; carnea is deep peach, lilacina is lilac; pallida is white; and azurea is blue. The blue form can be difficult to distinguish from A. foemina, but the petal margins are diagnostic: whereas foemina has clearly irregular petal margins with only 5 to 15 glandular hairs, A. arvensis f. azurea has 50 to 70 hairs on only slightly irregular margins.

Medical and agricultural significance

Anagallis arvensis is generally unwelcome as a cosmopolitan invasive species; it is harmfully toxic in several respects and accordingly undesirable in pastures. The plant is acrid and bitter, and grazing livestock generally avoid eating it except in conditions of overgrazing or grazing of unsatisfying stubble. Experimental feeding of the plant material to various animals, such as horses and dogs, caused gastroenteritis. [14] Sufficiently high doses proved fatal. [15] Less specifically the herb has been reported as being toxic to poultry and rabbits, and the seed to birds. [14]

Anagallis arvensis is less often used in folk medicine worldwide than where it has long been familiar in its countries of origin. In various countries however, the plant material has been applied externally to slow-healing ulcers and wounds. It also has been applied as an expectorant and as a remedy for pruritus, rheumatism, haemorrhoids, rabies, leprosy, and snake-bite. Anagallis has been used in treatment of non-specified types of phthisis, and of kidney-related conditions such as dropsy and chronic nephritis. It was used as an antidepressant in ancient Greece, and to treat various mental disorders in European folk medicine, leading to the German name Gauchheil (Gauch meaning 'fool, cuckoo' and heil meaning 'heal'). Generally however, documented evidence for clinical efficacy is lacking. Anagallis arvensis is traditionally known by pharmacists as Arvensis Herba [16]

Anagallis arvensis is insecticidal, or at least is repellent to some insects, possibly by virtue of its pungent essential oil which has a characteristic smell. Taken by mouth, experimental doses of the liquid in humans caused twenty-four hours of intense nausea, headache and bodily pain. Some people also experience dermatitis from contact with the leaf. Reports from Australia state that when grain crops have been infested by the weed, chaff that contains much of the material becomes unpalatable to stock as fodder. When grazing in pasture, livestock usually leave the plant alone, but when they do nonetheless eat significant quantities, they suffer diuretic and narcotic effects sufficiently intense to justify regarding the plant as poisonous. [15] Reportedly an Indian practice of expelling leeches from dog nostrils can lead to fatal results if the animal swallows the fluid. [14]

The herb and its seed contain saponins, which could explain why fresh material is strongly haemolytic. [17] Among other possible glycosides, [15] the root yields the triterpenoid glycoside cyclamin [14] which is highly toxic and occurs in Cyclamen species, [18] also a member of the subfamily Myrsinoideae, and arguably also in the Primulaceae. [19]

The plant contains tanning agents, bitters, and the proteolytic enzyme primverase.

Antibacterial tests of the green parts failed to show any encouraging positive effect. [14]

In literature

Scarlet pimpernel (anicham in Tamil) is one of the two flowers mentioned in the Tirukkural . [20]

The Scarlet Pimpernel is the alias of Sir Percy Blakeney in the novel of the same name by Baroness Emma Orczy and its numerous film and musical adaptations.

The fictional flower Elanor is said to be a little enlarged version of pimpernel, according to one of J. R. R. Tolkien's letters. [21]

The flower appears in The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring [22] and in Unfinished Tales . [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ericales</span> Order of eudicot flowering plants

The Ericales are a large and diverse order of dicotyledons. Species in this order have considerable commercial importance including for tea, persimmon, blueberry, kiwifruit, Brazil nuts, argan, and azalea. The order includes trees, bushes, lianas, and herbaceous plants. Together with ordinary autophytic plants, the Ericales include chlorophyll-deficient mycoheterotrophic plants and carnivorous plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Primulaceae</span> Family of flowering plants that includes the primroses

The Primulaceae, commonly known as the primrose family, are a family of herbaceous and woody flowering plants including some favourite garden plants and wildflowers. Most are perennial though some species, such as scarlet pimpernel, are annuals.

<i>Cyclamen</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae

Cyclamen is a genus of 23 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. In English, it is known by the common names sowbread or swinebread. Cyclamen species are native to Europe and the Mediterranean Basin east to the Caucasus and Iran, with one species in Somalia. They grow from tubers and are valued for their flowers with upswept petals and variably patterned leaves.

<i>Lysimachia</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae

Lysimachia is a genus consisting of 193 accepted species of flowering plants traditionally classified in the family Primulaceae. Based on a molecular phylogenetic study it was transferred to the family Myrsinaceae, before this family was later merged into the Primulaceae.

<i>Lysimachia nemorum</i> Species of flowering plant in the primrose family Primulaceae

Lysimachia nemorum, the yellow pimpernel, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Primulaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildflower</span> Flower that grows in the wild, not intentionally planted

A wildflower is a flower that grows in the wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is any different from the native plant, even if it is growing where it would not naturally be found. The term can refer to the whole plant, even when not in bloom, and not just the flower.

<i>Anagallis</i> Genus of flowering plants

Anagallis is a genus of about 20–25 species of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae, commonly called pimpernel. The scarlet pimpernel referred to in literature is part of this genus. The botanical name is from the Greek ana and agállein, and it refers to the opening and closing of the flowers in response to environmental conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myrsinoideae</span> Subfamily of plants, including Cyclamen

Myrsinoideae is a subfamily of the family Primulaceae in the order Ericales. It was formerly recognized as the family Myrsinaceae, or the myrsine family, consisting of 35 genera and about 1000 species. It is widespread in temperate to tropical climates extending north to Europe, Siberia, Japan, Mexico, and Florida, and south to New Zealand, South America, and South Africa.

<i>Lysimachia monelli</i> Species of flowering plant

Lysimachia monelli, the blue pimpernel or garden pimpernel is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to the Mediterranean region. It is not to be confused with Lysimachia foemina, which has very similar blue flowers, but broader leaves and can be found also in colder climates. In a comparison of DNA sequences, L. monelli was shown to be most closely related to L. foemina. The latter had been thought by many to be closest to L. arvensis, and some authors had even included L. foemina as a subspecies of L. arvensis. The three species were among several transferred from Anagallis to Lysimachia in a 2009 paper.

<i>Lysimachia maritima</i> Species of flowering plant in the primrose family Primulaceae

Lysimachia maritima is a plant species belonging to the family Primulaceae. It was previously called Glaux maritima, the only species in the monotypic genus Glaux. The species has a number of common names, including sea milkwort, sea milkweed, and black saltwort.

The scarlet pimpernel is a very common small annual plant with red or orange flowers.

<i>Lysimachia vulgaris</i> Species of flowering plant in the primrose family Primulaceae

Lysimachia vulgaris, the yellow loosestrife or garden loosestrife, is a species of herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Primulaceae. It was transferred to Myrsinoideae based on results of molecular phylogenetic research before being merged into the Primulaceae.

<i>Lysimachia fraseri</i> Species of flowering plant

Lysimachia fraseri is a rare species of flowering plant in the primrose family known by the common name Fraser's yellow loosestrife. It is native to the Southeastern United States, where it is listed as an endangered species in several states.

<i>Lysimachia punctata</i> Species of flowering plant in the primrose family Primulaceae

Lysimachia punctata, the dotted loosestrife, large yellow loosestrife, circle flower, or spotted loosestrife, is a flowering plant species in the family Primulaceae.

Lysimachia pendens is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae known by the common name broad-leaf yellow loosestrife. It is endemic to Hawaii, where there is a single occurrence known on the island of Kauai. It was federally listed as an endangered species of the United States in 2010.

<i>Anagallis tenella</i> Species of flowering plant

Anagallis tenella, known in Britain as the bog pimpernel, is a low growing perennial plant found in a variety of damp habitats from calcareous dune slacks to boggy and peaty heaths in Eurasia. In the United Kingdom it is mostly restricted to the western half of the country, although it was more common in the east before land drainage and intensification of farming in that area.

<i>Lysimachia foemina</i> Species of flowering plant

Lysimachia foemina is commonly known as blue pimpernel or poor man's weatherglass, and was formerly called Anagallis foemina. It is a low-growing annual herbaceous plant in the genus Lysimachia of the family Primulaceae. In a comparison of DNA sequences, L. foemina was shown to be most closely related to L. monelli. It had been thought by many to be closest to L. arvensis, and some authors had even included L. foemina as a subspecies of L. arvensis, as Anagallis arvensis subsp foemina. These three species were among several transferred from Anagallis to Lysimachia in a 2009 paper.

Blue pimpernel is a common name for several plants and may refer to:

<i>Lysimachia clethroides</i> Species of flowering plant

Lysimachia clethroides, the gooseneck loosestrife, is a species of flowering plant, traditionally classified in the family Primulaceae. It was transferred to the family Myrsinaceae based on a molecular phylogenetic study, but this family was later merged into the Primulaceae.

References

  1. 1 2 "Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis)". Connecticut Botanical Society. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
  2. ↑ Ples, Marek (2022-09-20). "Lab Snapshots: anatomy of Anagallis arvensis petal". weirdscience.eu. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
  3. ↑ "Factsheet - Anagallis arvensis".
  4. ↑ "Angallis arvensis (Scarlet pimpernel)".
  5. ↑ "Descriptions and articles about the Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) - Encyclopedia of Life". Encyclopedia of Life.
  6. ↑ "Anagallis arvensis in Flora of North America @ efloras.org".
  7. ↑ "Anagallis arvensis". Archived from the original on 2012-05-02. Retrieved 2012-12-16.
  8. ↑ Mari Källersjö; Gullevi Bergqvist; Arne A. Anderberg (2000). "Generic realignment in primuloid families of the Ericales s.l.: a phylogenetic analysis based on DNA sequences from three chloroplast genes and morphology". American Journal of Botany. American Journal of Botany, Vol. 87, No. 9. 87 (9): 1325–1341. doi:10.2307/2656725. JSTOR   2656725. PMID   10991903. (full pdf.text)
  9. ↑ C. A. Stace, New Flora of the British Isles, 4th edition 2019, p 549. ISBN   978-15272-2630-2.
  10. ↑ Manns, Ulrika; Anderberg, Arne A. (2007). "Relationships of Anagallis foemina and Anagallis arvensis (Myrsinaceae): New insights inferred from DNA sequence data". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 45 (3): 971–980. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.07.022. PMID   17869544.
  11. ↑ The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Published on the Internet; http://www.theplantlist.org/ (accessed January 2016)
  12. ↑ Oberdorfer, Erich; Schwabe, Angelika (2001). Pflanzensoziologische Exkursionsflora : für Deutschand und angrenzende Gebiete (8 ed.). Stuttgart: E. Ulmer. ISBN   3800131315.
  13. ↑ Dörr, Erhard; Lippert, Wolfgang (2004). Flora des Allgäus und seiner Umgebung. Eching: IHW-Verl. ISBN   3930167611.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Watt, John Mitchell; Breyer-Brandwijk, Maria Gerdina: The Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Southern and Eastern Africa 2nd ed Pub. E & S Livingstone 1962
  15. 1 2 3 Harold C. Long (1917). Plants Poisonous to Live Stock. CUP Archive. pp. 49–. GGKEY:ZF2C4UTG0H9.
  16. ↑ The Edinburgh New Dispensatory, Andrew Duncan (the Younger), Bell & Bradfute, 1813, p 278
  17. ↑ Podolak I, Galanty A, Sobolewska D. Saponins as cytotoxic agents: a review. Phytochemistry Reviews. 2010;9(3):425-474. doi : 10.1007/s11101-010-9183-z
  18. ↑ van Wyk, Ben-Erik; van Heerden, Fanie; van Oudtshoorn, Bosch (2002). Poisonous Plants of South Africa. Pretoria: Briza. ISBN   978-1875093304.
  19. ↑ SHARMA (2011). PLANT TAXONOMY 2E. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. pp. 371–. ISBN   978-1-259-08137-8.
  20. ↑ "Thiruvalluvar.Thirukural, Kural-90".
  21. ↑ Tolkien, J. R. R. (1981). The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien. United Kingdom: George Allen & Unwin. pp. 312, From a letter to Amy Ronald 16 November 1969. ISBN   0-618-05699-8.
  22. ↑ Tolkien, J. R. R. (1954). The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Allen & Unwin. pp. Book Two, Chapter VI: "Lothlórien".
  23. ↑ Tolkien, J. R. R. (1980). Unfinished Tales. HarperCollins. pp. 260 - Part Two: The Second Age, II: "Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife". ISBN   0618154043.

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