Mather Field Vernal Pools - Scarlet Pimpernel

Mather Field Vernal Pools

Gladys Lucille Smith,
© California Academy of Sciences

	common name	Scarlet Pimpernel

	scientific name	Anagallis arvensis

	family	Primulaceae (primrose)

	habitat	wet grassland

	size	plant up to 16 inches tall; flower 7 to 11 mm across

	fun facts	A little weed common in gardens and waste places. The genus name (Anagallis) means "amusing" in Greek.


description	Member of the primrose family. The stems are smooth and square. The plant usually has many branches and is sprawling. Each flower has five sepals, five petals and five stamens. The seeds mature in a round ovary that opens by the top coming off like the lid of a jar. These are the only salmon (yellowish pink) colored flowers to be found at Mather Field. Chaffweed (Centunculus minimus) has very similar stems and leaves, but the flowers are much smaller (1 to 3 mm) and have white petals.

life cycle	Scarlet Pimpernel is an annual. It can germinate almost any time of the year. Depending upon location and moisture, it blooms from March to September.

ecology	Scarlet Pimpernel is not native to California. It came from Europe and was probably accidentally brought here by early settlers. The plant is toxic to both humans and animals. The flowers open every day in the sunshine and close again at night.

What is a weed?

A weed is a plant that easily moves in and colonizes new sites, usually following some type of disturbance. A weed is a plant out of place.

The weeds in vernal pool grasslands were brought to California from other parts of the World. The plants and animals which controlled their populations in their homelands do not live here. This allows the weeds to grow out of control and displace plants and animals native to California.