Oenothera filiformis
Oenothera deltoides
bee-blossom, longflower beeblossom
basket evening-primrose, birdcage evening primrose, desert lantern, devil's lantern, dune primrose, hairy evening primrose, lion-in-a-cage
usually well-branched distal to base, (50–)100–400 cm.
central stem usually erect, usually thickened at base and spongy, branched or unbranched, branches few–several, slender, decumbent to ascending, from base, usually encircling central stem in older plants, 10–40(–100) cm.
in a basal rosette and cauline, basal 8–15(–40) × 1.5–3.6 cm, blade lyrate, margins irregularly toothed to lobed;
cauline 1.5–13 × 0.5–3 cm, blade narrowly elliptic to elliptic or lanceolate, margins subentire or shallowly undulate-denticulate.
in a basal rosette and cauline, rosette usually well developed (except subsp. howellii), basal 5–25 × 1–5 cm, cauline 4–12(–18) × 0.5–4 cm;
petiole 1.5–8 cm;
blade rhombic-obovate, lanceolate, or oblanceolate, margins subentire, dentate, or pinnatifid.
4-merous, zygomorphic, opening at sunset;
floral tube 4–13(–15) mm;
sepals 7–18 mm;
petals white, fading pink, elliptic to elliptic-obovate, 7–15 mm;
filaments 5–13 mm, anthers 1.5–5 mm, pollen 90–100% fertile;
style 12–34 mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.
1–several opening per day near sunset;
buds nodding, weakly or strongly quadrangular or fluted in distal 1/2, with free tips 0–9 mm;
floral tube 20–40 mm;
sepals (13–)15–35 mm, not spotted;
petals white, fading pink to deep pink, broadly obovate or obcordate, 15–44 mm;
filaments 8–15 mm, anthers 5–14 mm;
style 35–60 mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.
ellipsoid or ovoid, sharply 4-angled, 4.5–7 × 1.5–2.5 mm;
sessile.
spreading, straight to curved, becoming somewhat woody in age, cylindrical to slightly 4-angled, widest toward base, tapering from base to apex, (15–)30–80 × 1.5–5 mm;
sessile.
2–4, yellowish to reddish brown, 1.3–3 × 0.7–1.3 mm.
numerous, in 1 row per locule, buff with dark spots or black, narrowly obovoid, 1.5–2.8 mm.
= 14.
Oenothera filiformis
Oenothera deltoides
P. H. Raven and D. P. Gregory (1972[1973]) found various levels of hybridization and intergradation between Oenothera filiformis and O. lindheimeri to occur where their ranges overlap. In the region of geographical overlap, most populations of O. filiformis are strigillose in the inflorescences and have evening-opening flowers, while O. lindheimeri is villous in the inflorescences, and has large morning-opening flowers. Moreover, O. lindheimeri occurs only on black clay prairie soil, while O. filiformis occurs in light, sandy soil, as it does throughout its range, and in more disturbed areas. Despite these differences, Raven and Gregory found hybridization between these species scattered across an area from eastern Texas across Louisiana to Alabama. At some locations there is apparently no hybridization, while at others hybrids were uncommon to relatively common. Intermediate morning-blooming plants in Alabama appear to represent evidence of past hybridization since O. lindheimeri does not occur there. Many of the individuals they tested had somewhat reduced pollen fertility (40–70% fertile). They suspected that habitat disturbance was primarily responsible in many cases, but they also detected what may have been intergradation resulting from past hybridization outside of the current distribution of O. lindheimeri. Many of these individual cases deserve further investigation to better understand the dynamics of the interactions between these species and if any of the interactions have led to stabilization of novel populations that might be recognized taxonomically.
Very few collections have been made from areas on the periphery of the range of Oenothera filiformis (southern Ontario, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania), and populations in these areas probably represent recent human-based introductions. P. H. Raven and D. P. Gregory (1972[1973]) determined O. filiformis to be self-incompatible.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Subspecies 5 (5 in the flora).
Oenothera deltoides is self-incompatible or self-compatible (W. M. Klein 1964; W. L. Wagner et al. 2007; K. E. Theiss et al. 2010).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Herbs perennial, from long, fleshy roots; stems not thickened at base, branches erect or ascending, not encircling stems in older plants. | subsp. howellii |
1. Herbs annual or short-lived perennial from a taproot; stems usually thickened at base, branches ascending or decumbent, often encircling stems in older plants. | → 2 |
2. Flower buds fluted or strongly quadrangular in distal 1/2, without free tips, villous with curly hairs, sometimes glabrous; leaf blade margins sinuate-dentate to pinnatifid; petals 15–25(–30) mm; capsules 15–25(–30) mm. | subsp. piperi |
2. Flower buds weakly or strongly quadrangular in distal 1/2, with free tips 0–3 mm, strigillose, sparsely to moderately villous, or glabrous; leaf blade margins sinuate-dentate or subentire, rarely pinnatifid; petals 15–44 mm; capsules 40–80 mm. | → 3 |
3. Flower buds with free tips 1–3 mm, quadrangular in distal 1/2; plants strigillose, especially distally. | subsp. ambigua |
3. Flower buds with free tips 0–1.5 mm, weakly quadrangular in distal 1/2; plants glabrous, villous, or strigillose. | → 4 |
4. Herbs annual, strigillose, sometimes also villous; capsules 2–3.5 mm diam.; flower buds with free tips 0–1.5 mm. | subsp. deltoides |
4. Herbs short-lived perennial or sometimes annual, glabrous or sparsely villous, rarely also strigillose; capsules 3–5 mm diam.; flower buds without free tips. | subsp. cognata |
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