LYSIMACHIA

Lysimachia Tourn. ex L., Sp. Pl. 1: 146. 1753; Anagallis L., Sp. Pl. ed.1: 148. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 73. 1754; Duby in DC., Prodr. 8: 69. 1844; Boiss, Fl. Or. 4: 6. 1879; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 3: 505. 1882; Pax & Kunth in Engler, Pflanzenr. 22( iv. 237): 321. 1905; Singh & Kachroo, For. Fl. Srinagar 180. 1976; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 15: 79; Cholewa, Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org 8: 305; Nasir, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 93.

268 species

Lysimachia arvensis

Lysimachia arvensis (L.) U. Manns & Anderb., Willdenowia 39: 51. 2009; Anagallis arvensis L., Sp. Pl. ed.1: 148. 1753; Duby in DC., Prodr. 8: 69. 1844; Duthie, List of N. W. Ind. Pl. 116. 1881; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 3: 506. 1882; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 1: 302. 1921 (Reprint 1980); Pax & Kunth in Engler, Pflanzenr. 22( iv. 237): 322. 1905; Kashyap, Fl. Lahore 159: 1936; Sharma & Kachroo, Fl. Jammu (Illustr.) 2: t. 159. 1983; Dhaliwal & Sharma, Fl. Kullu Dist. 421. 1999; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 407. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 446. 2006; Nasir, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 94; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 15: 79; Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org 8: 306.

Annual herb, 10-40 cm long. Stem erect or decumbent-ascending, simple or branched from base, glabrous, branches 4-angled, shortly winged on edges. Leaves sessile, opposite- decussate, pale green, 0.8-2.5 cm x 0.4-1.6 cm, ovate, ovate-oblong or lanceolate, subcordate at base, apex acute or subacute, margin entire or minutely papillose, gland-dotted mainly abaxially; both surfaces shortly stellate hairy; 5-7 prominent veins from base. Flowers solitary axillary, 0.7-1.2 cm across, actinomorphic, bisexual, pentamerous, blue. Pedicels 1-2.5 cm long, usually longer than the subtending leaf, recurved in fruit, glandulose. Calyx shortly campanulate, 3.5-4.5 mm long, 4-5-partite nearly to base; lobes lanceolate, spreading, acuminate, midrib prominent, margin membranous and minutely ciliolate or crenulate. Corolla rotate, 5-partite nearly to base; lobes 4-5 mm long, obovate to suborbicular, blue with basal part scarlet, denticulate, glandular-stipitate. Stamens 5, inserted at base of corolla, +/- equalling the pistil; filaments 2-2.5 mm long, basally dilated and connate, stipitate-glandular, reddish pink but colourless towards base; anthers ca. 1 mm long, basifixed, yellow, +/- apiculate. Ovary superior, globose, ca. 1 mm diameter, unilocular, many ovules on free-central placenta; style +/- 2 mm long, pinkish, pubescent, persistent; stigma capitate. Capsule (pyxidium) globose, 4-5 mm diameter, smooth, glabrous, light yellow, circumscissile. Seeds many, trigonous, ca. 1 mm broad, dark brown or black, vesiculose

Flowering and Fruiting: February to March
Common Names: Blue Pimpernel, Neel, Dharti Dhak, Krishna Neel (Hindi)

Key to the varieties

1. Flowers orange-red to scarlet………………………. var. arvensis
+ Flowers blue to deep blue……………………………var. caerulea

The studied taxon is Lysimachia arvensis var. caerulea (L.) Turland & Bergmeier, Willdenowia 41: 185. 1911; Anagallis arvensis var. caerulea L., Amoen. Acad. 4: 479. 1759; Anagallis arvensis f. caerulea (L.) Ludi, Illustr. Fl. Mitt.-Eur. 5(3):1870.1927; Anagallis coerulea Schreb., Spic. Fl. Lips. 5. 1771.