Anagallis arvensis L.

• Authority

  Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

• Family

  Primulaceae

• Scientific Name

  Anagallis arvensis L.

• Description

  Species Description - Annual, usually much-branched, diffuse to erect, 1–3 dm; stem 4-angled; lvs sessile, decussate, elliptic to ovate, 1–2 cm; fls solitary in the axils; pedicels slender, ascending, in fr recurved; sep 3–4 mm; cor equaling or somewhat surpassing the cal, open only in fair weather; 2n=40. Native of Eurasia, now a weed in temperature regions almost throughout the world, sometimes along salted highways. The common var. arvensis has scarlet or brick-red to sometimes white fls on pedicels that usually exceed the lvs. Var. caerulea (Schreb.) Gren. & Godr., rare in our range, mostly more southern than var. arvensis in Europe, has blue fls on pedicels usually shorter than the lvs.