scarlet pimpernel

British  

noun

1. Also called: poor man's weatherglass.   shepherd's weatherglass.  a weedy primulaceous plant, Anagallis arvensis, of temperate regions, having small red, purple, or white star-shaped flowers that close in bad weather

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scarlet pimpernel

Her hands shielded from the gusts of February air by a well-worn pair of gardening gloves, Rachel carefully places tree spinach and scarlet pimpernel seeds into brown plastic pots.

From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2020

Peter K. Grimes had neither the cloak, the dagger nor the devil-may-care air of a scarlet pimpernel.

From Time Magazine Archive

A scarlet pimpernel is not, as U. S. cinemaddicts may suppose, either a childhood disease or a disgraceful occupation.

From Time Magazine Archive

Notwithstanding the fact that many birds delight to feast on the seeds, or perhaps because of it, for many must be dropped undigested, the scarlet pimpernel is one of the most widely distributed species known.

From Wild Flowers An Aid to Knowledge of Our Wild Flowers and Their Insect Visitors by Neltje Blanchan

The scarlet pimpernel or Anagallis arvensis has a blue variety which is absolutely constant.

From Species and Varieties, Their Origin by Mutation by Hugo de Vries