Day 339 - Surprisingly Popular Scarlet Pimpernel

Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis)

Hey everyone today's Day 339 and as I have covered Orchids in the the last couple of days, I was in the flower mood. So today I decided to visit something that I found quite a little bit ago in Summer at a place called Nosterfield, a place I love to go to. It's my nearest local nature reserve but it has so many wonderful things, not just birds and bugs (all of which I cover an awful lot) but lots of great plant-life too. Today's post will be about the lovely Scarlet Pimpernel.

So, here are the facts:

• The reason that they are called the 'Scarlet Pimpernel' is because of the lovely colour that they are. 

• Now, I'm colour-blind so I can't really see what the colour is, all I can see is an orangey-red colour that looks like all other things that are orange, so I'm going by what my Dad says. :-)

• They are seen mostly through out Summer, a little bit into both Spring and Autumn, strictly speaking May to September.

• The particular habitats the The Wildlife Trusts say are mainly Gardens and Fields, Grassy areas. This seems right from where I found it.

'No heart can think, no tongue can tell

The virtues of the Pimpernel.'

• Some of its other names are the 'Old Man's Weather-Vane' or the 'Shepherd's Weather Glass'. I wonder why that is...

• ...Well, both of these are linked with the weather. That's because when atmospheric pressure falls, basically when it's about to rain, the petals will close.

• It is a plant that has been used as medicine by people as far back as ancient Greek and apparently for all sorts of illnesses. I'm not sure if we would use in the the modern day but it was used a lot and I found a rhyme about it which you can see under the picture.

• Now, strictly speaking, it's not actually The Scarlet Pimpernel, well not always. It can also have blue flowers which I found quite interesting.

• They are apparently always blue in Spain. The blue ones are most likely to be found when there are more hours of sunshine so they can sometimes be seen in the South of England.

They seek him here, they seek him there, 

those Frenchies seek him everywhere.

Is he in heaven or is he in hell? 

That damned elusive Pimpernel.

• Today's the second day in a row where I have covered something that doubles as something in the media. Yesterday's Herald is an English Newspaper and the Scarlet Pimpernel is also a novel which has been made into a film.

• There are novels and films about the Scarlet Pimpernel, the quote under this picture is the apparently the most famous quote from them.

• The usual thing in these novels is that The Scarlet Pimpernel wanders around France saving young, female aristocrats from the guillotine. He gets his name from the card with a Red Flower on it that he leaves at the scene of his adventures.

• I've covered a lot of species so I find it very interesting that this tiny little flower has so many rhymes, novels and films it features it! Surprisingly Popular! 

Here are some links to some more information:

The Wildlife Trusts - Scarlet Pimpernel 

The Guardian - Scarlet Pimpernel

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.