Facts and benefits of Scarlet Pimpernel

Scarlet pimpernel, commonly known as blue-scarlet pimpernel, red pimpernel, red chickweed, poorman’s barometer, is a low-growing prostrate annual plant belonging to primrose family Primulaceae. It does not compete well so it favors places where the soil is almost free of other plants.  The plant is native to Europe, Western Asia and North Africa and now naturalized almost worldwide, with a range that includes the Americas, Central and East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Malesia, the Pacific Islands, Australasia and Southern Africa. According to some European herbalists the red-flowered form is especially good for men, while the blue-flowered plants are more suited to women.

Poor man’s Weatherglass, scarlet pimpernel, red pimpernel, red chickweed, poorman’s barometer, shepherd’s weather glass, shepherd’s clock, bird’s-eye, blue pimpernel, common pimpernel, poison chickweed, poisonous pimpernel, poisonweed, wink-a-peep and blue-scarlet pimpernel are some of the popular common names of the plant. The genus name Anagallis comes from Greek word anagelas which means ‘to delight again’ with a reference to the reopening of the flowers each day when the sun comes out. The specific epithet arvensis means ‘of cultivated land’, which habitat is indeed commonly graced by these lovely little wildflowers. The species has been distributed widely by humans, either intentionally as an ornamental flower or accidentally.

Scarlet Pimpernel Facts

Plant Description

Scarlet Pimpernel is a small much branched, low-growing prostrate annual hairless plant that normally grows about 6 to 30 cm (2.4 to 12 inches) tall. The plant is found growing in crop fields, vineyards, orchards, pastures, grassland, turf, gardens, landscaped areas, urban sites, roadsides, margins of vernal pools, streams, marshes, coastal terraces, ocean beaches, other disturbed sites, waste ground, garden lawns, farmlands, fields, fallow land and seashores. The plant requires moist soil but does not tolerate waterlogging. Stem is green, fleshy, weak sprawling with square cross-section growing to about 5–30 centimeters (2–12 in) long. It is often prostrate, but non-radicant.

Leaves

Leaves occur in opposite pairs or rarely in whorls of three. They are ovate to lanceolate in outline, stalk less, 5 to 20 mm long and 4 to 12 mm wide, with rounded bases, smooth margins and bluntly pointed tips. They are smooth and hairless, densely dotted beneath with small dark glands, and usually dark-green. The lamina has an entire margin, is glandular, smooth and glabrous on the 2 sides.

Flowers

The flowers are solitary, and are located on the upper leaf axils. The pedicel is longer than the leaves that underpin it. It bends after fertilization. Calyx consists of five oval lobes that are 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 sub spherical ovary carries an elongated style ending in a globular stigma. The placenta is fully covered by the ovules. The flowers are only open for few hours during the day, and only if there is sun. They remain closed during cool or cloudy weather. Flowering normally takes place from June to August.

Fruits

Fertile flowers are followed by tiny, globular, dehiscent, apiculate papery capsule that is about 3 to 4 mm in diameter having a circular opening. They are initially green ripening to brown before the top breaks away to release the numerous seeds. It consists of a single loculus which encloses numerous seeds. Capsules are opposite and quite prolific along the stems.

Seeds

Seed is angular to sub-globular, 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 cross linked and is dark brown to black colored. There are 35-40 seeds per seed capsule. The average seed number per plant is 900 but a large plant may yield 12,000 seeds.

Traditional uses and benefits of Scarlet Pimpernel

• The scarlet pimpernel was at one time extremely regarded as a medicinal herb, particularly in the treatment of epilepsy and mental problems, but there is little evidence to support its efficacy and it is no longer suggested for internal use because it contains toxic saponin and cytotoxic cucurbitacins.
• The whole herb is antitussive, cholagogue, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, nervine, purgative, stimulant and vulnerary.
• It can be taken internally or applied externally as a poultice.
• An infusion is used in the treatment of dropsy, skin infections and disorders of the liver and gall bladder.
• A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant.
• It is used internally to treat itchy skins and externally to remove warts.
• It has been applied as an expectorant and as a remedy for pruritus, rheumatism, hemorrhoids, rabies, leprosy, and snake-bite.
• It has been used in treatment of non-specified types of phthisis, and of kidney-related conditions such as dropsy and chronic nephritis.
• It was used as an antidepressant in ancient Greece, and to treat various mental disorders in European folk medicine.
• It was used to treat epilepsy, rabies, tuberculosis, and depression.
• In European folk medicine, it was once used as a medicinal herb for treating gallstones, cirrhosis, lung problems, kidney stones, urinary tract infections, dropsy, gout, and rheumatic conditions.
• The herb may be helpful in lowering high fever and expel phlegm and mucus in the chest and throat.
• It may be useful as an herbal remedy for the common cold or flu.
• Externally, it has sometimes has been used to treat minor wounds, cuts, and scrapes due to its astringent effect.
• It has also been used to relieve gout and joint pain.
• Juice from the plant can be rubbed on wasp and bee stings to relieve the pain and also to remove warts.
• In China it is a folklore remedy for snake bite and hydrophobia.

Culinary Uses

• Leaves can be consumed raw or cooked.
• It can be used in salads and as spinach.
• The tender shoots are cooked as a vegetable.
• It is best not to eat these leaves.

Other Facts

• The squeezed plant is used in Nepal for washing and bathing.
• Anagallis arvensis is insecticidal, or at least is repellent to some insects.
• The flower serves as the symbol of the fictional hero the Scarlet Pimpernel.
• The flowers open at about 8 am and close at 3pm each day, though they close earlier if it rains.

Dosage and Administration

If scarlet pimpernel is planned for use as medicine, it must be done with great caution and only in very small doses. This herb is not appropriate for self-medication and should only be used under the instructions and care of qualified health care professional knowledgeable in herbal medicine.

Some herbal literature recommends it as a tea with the dosage of 0.25-0.5 g of the dried, finely cut herb in a cup of boiling water, consumed in small sips throughout the day.

Precautions

• The seeds are slightly poisonous to some mammals, but no cases involving people are known.
• Skin contact with the plant can cause dermatitis in some people.
• Taken by mouth, experimental doses of the liquid in humans caused twenty-four hours of intense nausea, headache and bodily pain.
• Some people also experience dermatitis from contact with the leaf.
• In small doses, it can cause vomiting and abdominal pain followed by diarrhea.
• In high doses, it can cause polyuria (excessive urination volume), tremors, convulsions and paralysis of the respiratory system which can even lead to death.
• Although the herb was once used as food and in cooking and given the toxicity of the herb, it is highly advisable not to include it in any kind of cooking or as an ingredient in salads.
• The plant contains saponin that is known to cause an external allergic reaction such skin irritations and rash in some people.

References:

https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/ANGAR

http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2636008

https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=24043#null

http://www.hear.org/pier/species/anagallis_arvensis.htm

https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=anagallis+arvensis

https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/5352

http://www.floracatalana.net/anagallis-arvensis-l-

https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ANAR

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anagallis_arvensis

https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?316552

http://floraofalabama.org/Plant.aspx?id=5345

https://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/p/pimper33.html

https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/265546

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