Scarlet Pimperel
Myrsinaceae (Myrsine family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Photograph
© Derrick Ditchburn (Photo ID #45789)
Species Information
General:
Plants annual (rarely perennial), taprooted.
Leaves:
Leaves opposite, lanceolate to ovate or elliptic, sessile, base somewhat clasping, 5-15 mm.
Flowers:
Flowers long-stalked; corollas salverform, salmon to pink or reddish (rarely dark blue), throat purplish or bluish, 3-7 (10) mm wide, lobes finely fringed with small marginal hairs; calyces divided nearly to the base, usually not exceeding the corolla, 2-5 mm, lobes linear-lanceolate and scarious-margined; filaments long-hairy, reddish; anthers yellow; pedicels exceeding the subtending leaf, arched or curved (recurved in fruit), 10-40 mm. Flowering Jun-Aug.
Fruits:
Capsules 4-6 mm.
Stems:
Stems decumbent to ascending or erect, several, branched near the base, 6-50 cm tall.
Source: The Vascular Flora of British Columbia, draft 2014.
Author: Jamie Fenneman
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Introduced; infrequent in sw BC (s Vancouver I., Gulf Is., Lower Fraser Valley). Widespread cosmopolitan weed, native to Eurasia; established widely throughout North America (north to s Canada).Source: The Vascular Flora of British Columbia, draft 2014.
Author: Jamie Fenneman
Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Anagallis arvensis subsp. arvensis L.
Taxonomic Keys
Key to Anagallis
1a. Corollas showy, 3.5-7 mm across, reddish (rarely blue), lobes exceeding the calyx; pedicels 10-40 mm…….….……A. arvensis 1b. Corollas very inconspicuous, 1-2 mm across, white to pink, not exceeding the calyx; pedicels 0-1 mm…….....……...A. minima
Source: The Vascular Flora of British Columbia, draft 2014 |
Taxonomic Notes
This species can be a troublesome garden weed in some areas of the south coast. Most populations in B.C. have reddish or salmon-coloured flowers, but plants with dark blue flowers occur occasionally. These blue-flowered plants have been called A. arvensis var. caerulea or A. caerulea in the past, but are not generally afforded taxonomic status by most current authors. The flowers of A. arvensis tend to close on cloudy days.
Source: The Vascular Flora of British Columbia, draft 2014. |