It is also called 'Poor man's weather glass' because the little orange flowers close quickly as bad weather approaches.
| Latin name: Anagallis arvensis |
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| Family: Primulaceae, primrose family |
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| Common name: Scarlet pimpernel. Also
called red chickweed (though it is not in the same family as the other chickweeds).
It is also called 'Poor man's weather glass' because the little orange flowers close quickly as bad weather approaches. |
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Life cycle: annual, reproduces by seed |
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Habit: prostrate, slightly mounding,
spreading up to 24 inches wide when unimpeded. |
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Foliage: Foliage is oppositely arranged,
glabrous (without hairs), acuminate, and sessile (without petioles). |
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Flower: Flowers are solitary, 5-petaled,
and orange or salmon in color. |
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Stem: Stems are angular and glabrous,
while stems of both chickweed plants listed below have a circular cross section
and are hairy. |
| Look alikes: common chickweed (Stellaria
media) or mouseear chickweed
(Cerastium vulgatum). |