This section is from the book "An Illustrated Flora Of The Northern United States, Canada And The British Possessions Vol2", by Nathaniel Lord Britton, Addison Brown. Also available from Amazon: An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 Volume Set..
Low annual glabrous erect simple or branched herbs, with alternate small entire sessile or short-petioled leaves, or the lower opposite, and minute solitary axillary flowers. Calyx 4-5-parted, persistent, the lobes longer than the corolla. Corolla 4-5-cleft, marcescent, the tube subglobose, the lobes entire, acute, spreading. Stamens 4-5, inserted on the throat of the corolla; filaments short, glabrous, distinct; anthers ovate or cordate, obtuse; stigma capitate. Ovules numerous, amphitropous. Capsule globose, circumscissile, many-seeded. Seeds minute, flat on the back. [Latin, diminutive of cento, a patch.]
Three species, of wide geographic distribution. In addition to the following typical one, another occurs in Florida.
Fig. 3301
Centunculus minimus L. Sp. Pl. 116. 1753.
Simple or branched, very slender, 1'-6' high. Leaves spatulate, obovate or oblong, short-petioled, obtuse or acutish, 2"-4" long, 1"-2" wide; flowers sessile or very nearly so in the axils, shorter than the leaves, mostly 4-parted, 1"-2" broad; calyx-lobes linear or linear-lanceolate, acuminate; corolla pink; capsule shorter than the calyx.
In moist soil, Illinois and Minnesota to British Columbia, south to Florida, Texas and Mexico. Also in Europe and South America. Bastard pimpernel. April-Sept.
 
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