FNA: Oenothera curtissii vs. Oenothera nealleyi

	Oenothera curtissii	Oenothera nealleyi
	Curtiss' evening primrose
Habit	Herbs biennial or short-lived perennial, densely to sparsely strigillose, sometimes also sparsely glandular puberulent distally.	Herbs annual, sparsely villous proximally, leaves glabrate to sparsely villous along veins and on margins, usually glandular puberulent in distal parts; from stout taproot.
Stems	sometimes with lateral branches arisingobliquely from rosette, 30–80 cm.	usually well-branched, 20–70(–100) cm.
Leaves	in a basal rosette and cauline, basal 7–17 × 0.5–1.5 cm, cauline 2–8 × 0.5–1.5 cm; blade narrowly oblanceolate, gradually narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblong distally, margins lobed to remotely dentate or subentire; bracts slightly longer than capsule they subtend.	in a basal rosette and cauline, basal 3.5–9 × 0.5–1.5 cm, blade lyrate; cauline 1.5–7 × 0.1–0.6 cm, blade narrowly lanceolate to linear, margins sinuate-dentate, undulate.
Inflorescences	open, lax, without lateral branches, mature buds usually not overtopping spike apex.
Flowers	1 or 2 per spike opening per day near sunset; buds erect, with free tips erect to spreading, 0.3–0.8 mm; floral tube slightly curved upward to straight, 23–37 mm; sepals 7–13 mm; petals yellow, broadly elliptic to rhombic-ovate, 8–17 mm; filaments 6–10 mm, anthers 1.5–4 mm, pollen ca. 50% fertile; style 30–45 mm, stigma surrounded by anthers at anthesis.	4-merous, zygomorphic, opening at sunset; floral tube 10–20 mm; sepals 11–21 mm; petals white, fading pink to red, elliptic to elliptic-obovate, 10–15 mm; filaments 8–13 mm, anthers 2–6 mm, pollen 90–100% fertile; style 22–36 mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.
Capsules	narrowly lanceoloid, 10–25 ×2–3 mm.	ellipsoid or ovoid, narrowly 4-winged, furrowed between angles, 4.5–8 × 2–5 mm, stipe 0.2–2.2 mm; sessile.
Seeds	brown, sometimes flecked with darkred spots, ellipsoid, 1–1.3 × 0.5–0.7 mm.	3 or 4 (or 5), yellowish to light brown, 2–3(–4) × 1 mm.
2n	= 14.	= 14.

	Oenothera curtissii	Oenothera nealleyi
Phenology	Flowering Jun–Sep.	Flowering Apr–Oct.
Habitat	Dry places, pine-oak woods, fields, roadsides, sandy soil.	Washes, sandy places, grasslands, extending to pinyon-juniper woodlands.
Elevation	0–60 m. (0–200 ft.)	1200–2200 m. (3900–7200 ft.)
Distribution	AL; FL; GA; SC [BONAP county map]	NM; TX; Mexico (Coahuila)
Discussion	Oenothera curtissii is a PTH species and forms a ring of 14 chromosomes in meiosis, and is self-compatible and autogamous (W. Dietrich and W. L. Wagner 1988). It is known only from northern Florida, adjacent southern Georgia and southeastern Alabama, and one disjunct locality in South Carolina (Allendale County). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)	Oenothera nealleyi is restricted to an area from trans-Pecos Texas and northern Coahuila, Mexico, north to Bernalillo and Torrance counties, New Mexico. P. H. Raven and D. P. Gregory (1972[1973]) considered O. nealleyi to represent an unevenly intergrading entity with O. suffulta based on merging of distinguishing characteristics. The known intermediates occur in Terrell County, Texas, and were previously described as Gaura suffulta var. terrellensis Munz, but until new data on its status are available, we include this name with O. nealleyi. The molecular data (K. N. Krakos, unpubl.) suggest that O. nealleyi is not as closely related to O. suffulta as suggested by Raven and Gregory, given the placement in the phylogeny and the difference in scent profiles for these two taxa. Oenothera suffulta is a member of a strongly supported clade that also includes O. patriciae and O. triangulata, while O. nealleyi is a member of a polytomy that consists of other species of subsect. Gaura, with the O. suffulta—O. triangulata—O. patriciae clade sister to it (W. L. Wagner et al. 2013). Oenothera nealleyi has a strong sweet scent, whereas O. suffulta does not have a discernible scent (Wagner et al.). Raven and Gregory determined O. nealleyi to be self-incompatible. (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. Oenothera > subsect. Candela	Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Oenothera > sect. Gaura > subsect. Gaura
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. curtiflora, 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. 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. 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	O. heterophylla var. curtissii	Gaura nealleyi, G. suffulta subsp. nealleyi, G. suffulta var. terrellensis, O. suffulta subsp. nealleyi
Name authority	Small: Fl. S.E. U.S. ed. 2, 1353. (1913)	(J. M. Coulter) Krakos & W. L. Wagner: PhytoKeys 28: 64. (2013)
Web links	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Oenothera nealleyi

Curtiss' evening primrose

Habit

Herbs biennial or short-lived perennial, densely to sparsely strigillose, sometimes also sparsely glandular puberulent distally.

Herbs annual, sparsely villous proximally, leaves glabrate to sparsely villous along veins and on margins, usually glandular puberulent in distal parts; from stout taproot.

Stems

sometimes with lateral branches arisingobliquely from rosette, 30–80 cm.

usually well-branched, 20–70(–100) cm.

Leaves

in a basal rosette and cauline, basal 7–17 × 0.5–1.5 cm, cauline 2–8 × 0.5–1.5 cm;

blade narrowly oblanceolate, gradually narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblong distally, margins lobed to remotely dentate or subentire;

bracts slightly longer than capsule they subtend.

in a basal rosette and cauline, basal 3.5–9 × 0.5–1.5 cm, blade lyrate;

cauline 1.5–7 × 0.1–0.6 cm, blade narrowly lanceolate to linear, margins sinuate-dentate, undulate.

Inflorescences

open, lax, without lateral branches, mature buds usually not overtopping spike apex.

Flowers

1 or 2 per spike opening per day near sunset;

buds erect, with free tips erect to spreading, 0.3–0.8 mm;

floral tube slightly curved upward to straight, 23–37 mm;

sepals 7–13 mm;

petals yellow, broadly elliptic to rhombic-ovate, 8–17 mm;

filaments 6–10 mm, anthers 1.5–4 mm, pollen ca. 50% fertile;

style 30–45 mm, stigma surrounded by anthers at anthesis.

4-merous, zygomorphic, opening at sunset;

floral tube 10–20 mm;

sepals 11–21 mm;

petals white, fading pink to red, elliptic to elliptic-obovate, 10–15 mm;

filaments 8–13 mm, anthers 2–6 mm, pollen 90–100% fertile;

style 22–36 mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.

Capsules

narrowly lanceoloid, 10–25 ×2–3 mm.

ellipsoid or ovoid, narrowly 4-winged, furrowed between angles, 4.5–8 × 2–5 mm, stipe 0.2–2.2 mm;

sessile.

Seeds

brown, sometimes flecked with darkred spots, ellipsoid, 1–1.3 × 0.5–0.7 mm.

3 or 4 (or 5), yellowish to light brown, 2–3(–4) × 1 mm.

= 14.

Oenothera nealleyi

Phenology

Flowering Jun–Sep.

Flowering Apr–Oct.

Habitat

Dry places, pine-oak woods, fields, roadsides, sandy soil.

Washes, sandy places, grasslands, extending to pinyon-juniper woodlands.

Elevation

0–60 m. (0–200 ft.)

1200–2200 m. (3900–7200 ft.)

Distribution

AL; FL; GA; SC

[BONAP county map]

NM; TX; Mexico (Coahuila)

Discussion

Oenothera curtissii is a PTH species and forms a ring of 14 chromosomes in meiosis, and is self-compatible and autogamous (W. Dietrich and W. L. Wagner 1988). It is known only from northern Florida, adjacent southern Georgia and southeastern Alabama, and one disjunct locality in South Carolina (Allendale County).

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

Oenothera nealleyi is restricted to an area from trans-Pecos Texas and northern Coahuila, Mexico, north to Bernalillo and Torrance counties, New Mexico. P. H. Raven and D. P. Gregory (1972[1973]) considered O. nealleyi to represent an unevenly intergrading entity with O. suffulta based on merging of distinguishing characteristics. The known intermediates occur in Terrell County, Texas, and were previously described as Gaura suffulta var. terrellensis Munz, but until new data on its status are available, we include this name with O. nealleyi. The molecular data (K. N. Krakos, unpubl.) suggest that O. nealleyi is not as closely related to O. suffulta as suggested by Raven and Gregory, given the placement in the phylogeny and the difference in scent profiles for these two taxa. Oenothera suffulta is a member of a strongly supported clade that also includes O. patriciae and O. triangulata, while O. nealleyi is a member of a polytomy that consists of other species of subsect. Gaura, with the O. suffulta—O. triangulata—O. patriciae clade sister to it (W. L. Wagner et al. 2013). Oenothera nealleyi has a strong sweet scent, whereas O. suffulta does not have a discernible scent (Wagner et al.). Raven and Gregory determined O. nealleyi to be self-incompatible.

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

Source

FNA vol. 10.

Parent taxa

Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Oenothera > sect. Oenothera > subsect. Candela

Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Oenothera > sect. Gaura > subsect. Gaura

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. curtiflora, 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. 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. 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

O. heterophylla var. curtissii

Gaura nealleyi, G. suffulta subsp. nealleyi, G. suffulta var. terrellensis, O. suffulta subsp. nealleyi

Name authority

Small: Fl. S.E. U.S. ed. 2, 1353. (1913)

(J. M. Coulter) Krakos & W. L. Wagner: PhytoKeys 28: 64. (2013)

Web links

Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America

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Flora of North America species comparison

Oenothera curtissii

Oenothera nealleyi

Oenothera curtissii

Oenothera nealleyi