Anagallis arvensis or Lysimachia arvensis is a low-growing annual plant with brightly coloured flowers, most often scarlet but also bright blue and sometimes pink. The native range of the species is Europe and Western Asia and North Africa.
Anagallis arvensis (Scarlet Pimpernel) is a small, low-growing, weedy annual with small, egg-shaped, soft green leaves oppositely arranged along its four-angled stems. Scarlet Pimpernel is poisonous to livestock (e.g. horses, sheep and cattle), domestic animals (e.g. birds, dogs, guinea pigs and rabbits) and humans. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and possibly also as a food and as an alternative for soap. The plant has spread as a weed to many regions of the world. It is considered to be invasive in may areas, including Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and many of the Pacific Islands.
