Oenothera curtiflora |
Oenothera glaucifolia |
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lizard-tail, small-flower bee-blossom, small-flower gaura, velvet weed |
false gaura |
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Habit | Herbs annual, strigillose, glandular puberulent, and long-villous; from heavy taproot, 2–4 cm diam. | Herbs probably biennial, glabrous, becoming sparsely to densely glandular puberulent and short-villous distally, glaucous at least in proximal parts; from stout roots. |
Stems | erect, unbranched or many-branched distally, (20–)30–200(–300) cm. |
erect, branched or unbranched, 30–300 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, basal 3–7 × 0.5–2 cm, sessile, blade oblong to oblong-lanceolate, base usually ± auriculate, margins entire; cauline 3–8(–10) × 0.4–1.8 cm, blade lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, gradually smaller, becoming linear-subulate distally. |
Inflorescences | relatively long, dense. |
long, wandlike, unbranched or branched. |
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. |
4-merous, nearly actinomorphic, opening near sunrise; floral tube 6–17 mm; sepals 4–6 mm; petals white, fading off-white or tinged pink, slightly unequal, rhombic, 4–6 mm, abruptly clawed; filaments 5–8 mm, anthers 1.5–2 mm, pollen 85–100% fertile; style 6–10, 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. |
ovoid, 4-angled, somewhat flattened, 3–4 × 1.5–2.3 mm, valves with raised midrib and conspicuous lateral veins; sessile. |
Seeds | 3 or 4, reddish brown, 2–3 × 1–1.5 mm. |
1, pale yellow, oblanceoloid, 2.4–2.6 × 1–1.5 mm. |
2n | = 14. |
= 14. |
Oenothera curtiflora |
Oenothera glaucifolia |
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Phenology | Flowering (Feb–)Apr–Oct. | Flowering May–Oct(–Nov). |
Habitat | Rocky prairie slopes, woodlands, along streams, roadsides, disturbed areas. | Rocky prairie slopes and outcrops or bluffs, along streams, roadsides, usuallyon limestone. |
Elevation | 10–2800 m. (0–9200 ft.) | 200–1300 m. (700–4300 ft.) |
Distribution |
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]
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AR; CO; KS; MO; NE; NM; OK; TX; WY
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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 glaucifolia is self-incompatible, the flowers diurnal, pollinated primarily by wasps (R. Clinebell, unpubl.), as well as bees, flies, butterflies, and occasionally beetles (summarized by W. L. Wagner et al. 2007). It was collected once in 1988 in Indiana at Miller Woods Visitor Center (Lake County), Dritz 596 (MOR); it seems likely that it was introduced, and has not been collected there since. Stenosiphon virgatus Spach is a superfluous name and pertains here. (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. Gaura > subsect. Stenosiphon |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Gaura parviflora, G. australis, G. hirsuta, G. micrantha, G. parviflora var. lachnocarpa, Schizocarya micrantha | Gaura linifolia, Stenosiphon linifolius |
Name authority | W. L. Wagner & Hoch: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 211. (2007) | W. L. Wagner & Hoch: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 212. (2007) |
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