Lysimachia monelli

Leinblättriger pimpernel ( Anagallis monelli )

The Leinblättrige pimpernel ( Anagallis monelli ) is a species of the genus pimpernel ( Anagallis ).

Features

The Leinblättrige pimpernel is a short-lived, perennial herbaceous plant ( rarely to 70 ) reaches a size of 10 to 50 centimeters. The stems woody at the base and is erect, ascending or decumbent, but not rooted at the nodes. The leaves are opposite, arranged in threes in whorls or rarely alternate, linear- lanceolate, lanceolate or elliptic. The crown is wheel-shaped, has a diameter of 15 to 25 millimeters and is blue or rare colored brick red or white. The petals are on the edge smooth or slightly notched, with glandular hairs of four equal-sized cells.

The flowering period extends its natural habitat from March to July, in garden culture of May to September.

Wild plants are diploid with a chromosome number of 2n = 20 in culture, there are also large-flowered varieties with a tetraploid chromosome complement of 2n = 4x = 40

Occurrence

Anagallis monelli comes in the western Mediterranean ( from Portugal to southern Italy, and from Morocco to Tripolitania ) in dry, open places, fields and roadsides, wasteland and sandy coasts.

System

The Leinblättrige Pimpernel was first published in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum. An important synonym is Anagallis linifolia L.

The sub-species Anagallis monelli subsp. maritima ( Mariz ) M.Laínz ( densely leafed plants of the coast) and Anagallis monelli subsp. linifolia (L.) Maire (especially narrow-leaved plants) are not clearly distinguished from typical plants and can be considered as locational variations.

Use

The Leinblättrige pimpernel is rarely used as an ornamental plant for summer flowerbeds. He is in culture at least since the beginning of the 17th century.