Anagallis arvensis L.

Global description

Anagallis arvensis is a small, annual, hairless plant, erect or spreading, with squarish cross-section stem, branched from the base and non radicand, which does not exceed 20 cm in height and 50 cm in length for a prostrate growth habit. The leaves are opposite or in whorls of 3, simple, sessile, with oval lamina, broad at the base, acute at the apex, with an entire margin, and glandular. The flowers are solitary and are located on the upper leaf axils. Their pedicel exceeds the leaf that underpin it. The petals are fused at the base. Their color is either red or blue. The fruit is a spherical capsule with a loculus, with a circular opening. It contains numerous angular shaped seeds with reticulated surface, dark brown to black in color.

Cotyledons

The cotyledons are short-stalked, and have an oval lamina, attenuated at the base, with pointed ends, with visible midrib. They are dark green in color.
 

First leaves

The first leaves are opposite and glabrous. They are short-stalked, with oval lamina which is as long as broad, sub-cordate at the base. Dark spots are present on the underside of the leaf

General habit

Small, glabrous, annual herb, erect or prostrate, with a stem branched from the base, measuring 10 to 20 cm high

Underground system

The plant has a taproot system.

Stem

The stem has a squarish cross section, measuring 10 to 50 cm long. It is often prostrate, but non-radicant
 
Leaf

The leaves are simple and opposite or in verticilate of 3. They are sessile, oval to narrowly oval, with a rounded or heart shaped base, an acute to obtuse apex,  5 to 20 mm long and 4 to 12 mm wide. The lamina has an entire margin, is glandular, smooth and glabrous on the 2 sides.

Flower

The flowers are solitary, and are located on the upper leaf axils. The pedicel is longer than the leaves that underpin it. It curves after fertilization. The calyx consists of five oval lobes (4 mm long), pointed at the end, with a keeled back, fused at their base. The corolla has 5 petals (5 mm long) broadly obovate, with rounded or blunt tip, fused at their base, pubescent at the base of their inner face. They are red, orange or blue or mixed colors, purple on the internal surface of the collar or none. Numerous small glands are inserted on their margin, in its upper part (glands consisting of 3 cells, globular terminal). The 5 stamens (3 mm long), with hairy-filaments, are free. They are inserted on the basis of the corolla. The subspherical ovary carries an elongated style ending in a globular stigma. The placenta is fully covered by the ovules.
 
Fruit

The fruit is a globular, dehiscent, apiculate capsule (3 to 4 mm in diameter) having a circular opening. It consists of a single loculus which encloses numerous seeds.

Seed

The seed is angular to subglobular, more or less angular. It measures 0.8 to 1.2 mm in diameter, 0.9 to 1.4 mm long and 0.8 to 1 mm wide. Its surface is crosslinked, and dark brown to black.

Origin

Anagallis arvenis is native to the Mediterranean-Irano-Touranian-Euro-Siberian regions.


Algeria: Common in all the country to the oases of the Sahara.

https://www.gbif.org/species/3169305