Oenothera filiformis
Oenothera havardii
bee-blossom, longflower beeblossom
Havard's evening primrose
usually well-branched distal to base, (50–)100–400 cm.
usually many-branched, sometimes unbranched, often twining among vegetation, sometimes rooting at nodes, 5–25(–70) 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, basal usually quickly deciduous, (1–)2–5 × (0.2–)0.5–1.5 cm;
petiole 0–0.6 cm;
blade oblanceolate, linear-lanceolate to linear distally, margins few toothed to pinnately lobed to sinuate-dentate distally.
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–few opening per day near sunset;
buds often twisted, free tips coherent;
floral tube (37–)45–60(–65) mm;
sepals (16–)18–26(–30) mm;
petals lemon-yellow, fading orange-red to reddish purple, usually elliptic, sometimes oblanceolate, (18–)21–30(–32) mm;
filaments 15–18(–22) mm, anthers red, 6–13 mm;
style (55–)65–86(–94) mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.
ellipsoid or ovoid, sharply 4-angled, 4.5–7 × 1.5–2.5 mm;
sessile.
woody, narrowly ovoid to ovoid, 4-angled, 8–13(–16) × 3–4 mm, apex tapering to a short sterile beak 2–3 mm, valves with a prominent, broad midrib and capsule appearing 8-ribbed, tardily dehiscent ca. 1/3 capsule length.
2–4, yellowish to reddish brown, 1.3–3 × 0.7–1.3 mm.
2–2.5(–3.3) × 1.2–1.5 mm, sometimes with a small wing at distal end or a raised ridge along one longitudinal margin.
= 14.
= 14, 28.
Oenothera filiformis
Oenothera havardii
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.)
Oenothera havardii ranges from Brewster and Presidio counties, Texas, and Cochise County, Arizona, south to Durango and Zacatecas, Mexico. W. L. Wagner (1984) found that O. havardii is self-incompatible and vespertine.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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