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Anagallis foemina, common name Poorman's Weatherglass, is a lowgrowing annual herbaceous plant of the genus Anagallis belonging to the
Myrsinaceae family.
Etymology
The genus name Anagallis derives from the Greek words ana meaning
"again" and agallein meaning "to delight in", possibly referring to the
fact that these plants produce flowers twice in a year and the flowers
open whenever the sun strikes them.[1] The species epithet foemina
means "female" and refers to the small size of the plant and the
gentleness of its appearance. The common name refers to the fact that
the flowers close at the approaching of the bad weather.[2]
Description
Anagallis foemina has weak, square and sprawling stems growing to
about 518 centimetres (2.07.1 in) long,[3] which bear bright green
sessile leaves in opposite pairs. The leaves are usually lance-shaped
about 711 mm (0.280.43 in) wide and 1216 mm (0.470.63 in) long,
although some leaves, especially the lowest, may be ovate.
The small flowers are about 8 mm (0.31 in) in diameter, have a short
stalk, are produced in the leaf axils and are usually blue, but
exceptionally they may be red. They have five lanceolate sepals and five
petals. The filaments are about 3 mm (0.12 in) long, with showy yellow
anthers. The flowering period extends from April to October.[3] The
hermaphroditic flowers are pollinated by insects (entomogamy). The fruit
is a spherical capsule up to 4 mm (0.16 in) in diameter containing about
15 seeds.[3]
This species should not be confused with the related Anagallis arvensis.
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.[4]
Anagallis foemina can be distinguished from Anagallis arvensis on the
basis of the hairiness and arrangement of the petals and by the length of
the flower stalk. In fact this species has just a few glandular hairs on the
margin of the petals, clearly separated one from another (never