Texas Gardening: Texas Native Plant Pictures by color ( Orange ), 0 by htop

htop wrote:
Scarlet Pimpernel, Pimpernel, Adders Eyes, Poor Man's Weather Weather Glass(Anagallis arvensis), Primulaceae Family, naturalized, annual, blooms April through September, considered a weed by some

Scarlet pimpernel is a low-growing annual (2 to 6 inches) that sometimes is mistaken for chickweed. It can be found on roadsides and disturbed areas usually in moist soil. The square stems branch at the base and may reach 10 inches in length. Many times, the stems root at the nodes. The 1 inch, oval to elliptic leaves usually are opposite and do not have petioles. They sometimes may occur in whorls of three and may have tiny hairs. The lower leaf surfaces have small dark brown/purple spots. The 1/4 inch wide, red-orange (occasionally white or blue) blooms appear from the leaf axils and are open only when the sun shines. The bloom stalks are relatively long. The fruits are round capsules which contain many 1.3 mm long, brown, tiny seeds.

For more information, see its entry in the PlantFiles:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2267/index.html

The blooms are worth viewing close up.