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lizard-tail, small-flower bee-blossom, small-flower gaura, velvet weed

Engelmann's evening-primrose

Habit Herbs annual, strigillose, glandular puberulent, and long-villous; from heavy taproot, 2–4 cm diam. Herbs winter-annual, conspicuously villous throughout, also strigillose on leaves and distal parts; from a taproot.
Stems

erect, unbranched or many-branched distally, (20–)30–200(–300) cm.

erect, unbranched or with few, spreading branches, 30–50(–80) cm.

Leaves

in a basal rosette and cauline, basal 4–15 × 1.5–3 cm, petiole 0–1.8 cm, blade broadly oblanceolate, margins sinuate-dentate to dentate;

cauline 2–13 × 0.5–5 cm, petiole 0–2 cm, blade narrowly elliptic to narrowly ovate, margins sinuate-dentate to dentate.

in a basal rosette and cauline, rosette weakly developed or absent, at least during flowering, (1–)2–6(–8) × 1–2(–3) cm;

sessile;

blade lanceolate to oblong lanceolate, proximal ones sometimes oblanceolate, margins coarsely repand-dentate or -pinnatifid.

Inflorescences

relatively long, dense.

Flowers

4-merous, nearly actinomorphic, opening near sunset;

floral tube 1.5–5 mm;

sepals 2–3.5 mm;

petals white, fading pale to dark pink, slightly unequal, oblong-obovate to elliptic-oblanceolate, 1.5–3 mm, abruptly clawed;

filaments 1.5–3 mm, anthers 0.5–1 mm, pollen 85–100% fertile;

style 3–9 mm, stigma surrounded by anthers at anthesis.

1–several opening per day near sunset;

buds nodding, weakly quadrangular, without free tips;

floral tube 20–30 mm;

sepals 13–21 mm, not spotted or with scattered small, maroon spots;

petals white, fading pink, broadly obovate or obcordate, 15–30 mm;

filaments 14–16 mm, anthers 6–8 mm;

style 40–50 mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.

Capsules

fusiform, terete, weakly angled in distal 1/3, angles becoming broad and rounded in proximal part, 5–11 × 1.5–3 mm, tapering abruptly toward base;

sessile.

widely spreading, woody in age, straight or slightly curved, cylindrical, obtusely 4-angled, especially toward base, tapering gradually from base to apex, 30–60 × 2–3 mm;

sessile.

Seeds

3 or 4, reddish brown, 2–3 × 1–1.5 mm.

numerous, in 1 row per locule, brown, narrowly obovoid, 1–1.5 mm.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Oenothera curtiflora

Oenothera engelmannii

Phenology Flowering (Feb–)Apr–Oct. Flowering Apr–Aug(–Sep).
Habitat Rocky prairie slopes, woodlands, along streams, roadsides, disturbed areas. Sandy prairies, dunes, disturbed areas, roadsides.
Elevation 10–2800 m. (0–9200 ft.) 500–1300 m. (1600–4300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MN; MO; MT; NE; NM; NV; OK; OR; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; WA; WY; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, Sinaloa, Zacatecas) [Introduced in South America (Argentina), Asia (China, Japan), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; KS; NM; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Oenothera curtiflora is self-compatible and autogamous (P. H. Raven and D. P. Gregory 1972[1973]). Sometimes it is apparently a biennial. The species is native to grassland regions and open areas across much of interior North America. The full extent of its indigenous range is not clear and collections from the eastern half of the United States (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Tennessee) and California may be more recent introductions. Gaura mollis Nuttall ex Torrey 1827 is an isonym of G. mollis E. James 1822, a suppressed name.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Oenothera engelmannii is self-incompatible (W. L. Wagner et al. 2007; K. E. Theiss et al. 2010). It has a relatively narrow distribution in sandy areas of eastern New Mexico and western Texas, extending to southeastern Colorado, western Oklahoma, and southwestern Kansas. The flower size seems to vary, with larger flowers in eastern New Mexico and considerably smaller flowers in the eastern part of its range.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 10. FNA vol. 10.
Parent taxa Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Oenothera > sect. Gaura > subsect. Schizocarya Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Oenothera > sect. Anogra
Sibling taxa
O. acutissima, O. albicaulis, O. argillicola, O. arida, O. arizonica, O. biennis, O. boquillensis, O. brachycarpa, O. calcicola, O. californica, O. canescens, O. capillifolia, O. cavernae, O. cespitosa, O. cinerea, O. clelandii, O. coloradensis, O. cordata, O. coronopifolia, O. coryi, O. curtissii, O. deltoides, O. demareei, O. dodgeniana, O. drummondii, O. elata, O. engelmannii, O. falfurriae, O. filiformis, O. filipes, O. flava, O. fruticosa, O. gaura, O. gayleana, O. glaucifolia, O. glazioviana, O. grandiflora, O. grandis, O. harringtonii, O. hartwegii, O. havardii, O. heterophylla, O. hispida, O. howardii, O. humifusa, O. jamesii, O. kunthiana, O. laciniata, O. lavandulifolia, O. lindheimeri, O. linifolia, O. longissima, O. macrocarpa, O. mckelveyae, O. mexicana, O. nealleyi, O. neomexicana, O. nutans, O. nuttallii, O. oakesiana, O. organensis, O. pallida, O. parviflora, O. patriciae, O. perennis, O. pilosella, O. platanorum, O. podocarpa, O. primiveris, O. psammophila, O. pubescens, O. rhombipetala, O. riparia, O. rosea, O. serrulata, O. sessilis, O. simulans, O. sinuosa, O. spachiana, O. speciosa, O. stricta, O. suffrutescens, O. suffulta, O. tetraptera, O. texensis, O. toumeyi, O. triangulata, O. triloba, O. tubicula, O. villosa, O. wolfii, O. xylocarpa
O. acutissima, O. albicaulis, O. argillicola, O. arida, O. arizonica, O. biennis, O. boquillensis, O. brachycarpa, O. calcicola, O. californica, O. canescens, O. capillifolia, O. cavernae, O. cespitosa, O. cinerea, O. clelandii, O. coloradensis, O. cordata, O. coronopifolia, O. coryi, O. curtiflora, O. curtissii, O. deltoides, O. demareei, O. dodgeniana, O. drummondii, O. elata, O. falfurriae, O. filiformis, O. filipes, O. flava, O. fruticosa, O. gaura, O. gayleana, O. glaucifolia, O. glazioviana, O. grandiflora, O. grandis, O. harringtonii, O. hartwegii, O. havardii, O. heterophylla, O. hispida, O. howardii, O. humifusa, O. jamesii, O. kunthiana, O. laciniata, O. lavandulifolia, O. lindheimeri, O. linifolia, O. longissima, O. macrocarpa, O. mckelveyae, O. mexicana, O. nealleyi, O. neomexicana, O. nutans, O. nuttallii, O. oakesiana, O. organensis, O. pallida, O. parviflora, O. patriciae, O. perennis, O. pilosella, O. platanorum, O. podocarpa, O. primiveris, O. psammophila, O. pubescens, O. rhombipetala, O. riparia, O. rosea, O. serrulata, O. sessilis, O. simulans, O. sinuosa, O. spachiana, O. speciosa, O. stricta, O. suffrutescens, O. suffulta, O. tetraptera, O. texensis, O. toumeyi, O. triangulata, O. triloba, O. tubicula, O. villosa, O. wolfii, O. xylocarpa
Synonyms Gaura parviflora, G. australis, G. hirsuta, G. micrantha, G. parviflora var. lachnocarpa, Schizocarya micrantha Anogra pallida var. engelmannii, A. engelmannii
Name authority W. L. Wagner & Hoch: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 211. (2007) (Small) Munz: Amer. J. Bot. 18: 316. (1931) — (as engelmanni)
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