Oenothera filiformis
Oenothera toumeyi
bee-blossom, longflower beeblossom
usually well-branched distal to base, (50–)100–400 cm.
1–several, ascending to erect, unbranched to densely branched, 15–70 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.
1–3.5 × 0.1–0.7 cm, fascicles of small leaves 0.2–2.5 cm present in non-flowering axils;
petiole 0 cm;
blade narrowly lanceolate, base acute-attenuate, margins entire or obscurely and sparsely serrulate, not undulate, apex acute.
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.
usually 1 per stem opening per day at sunset;
buds with free tips 2–9(–12) mm;
floral tube (15–)30–60(–70) mm, funnelform in distal 1/2 or less;
sepals 10–25 mm;
petals yellow, fading pale pink or pale purple, 10–20 mm;
filaments 4–12 mm, anthers 6–10 mm, pollen 85–100% fertile;
style 35–70(–80) mm, stigma yellow, quadrangular, usually exserted beyond anthers.
ellipsoid or ovoid, sharply 4-angled, 4.5–7 × 1.5–2.5 mm;
sessile.
10–50 × 1.5–4 mm, somewhat papery, promptly dehiscent in distal 1/2.
2–4, yellowish to reddish brown, 1.3–3 × 0.7–1.3 mm.
obovoid, 2–3 mm.
= 14.
= 14.
Oenothera filiformis
Oenothera toumeyi
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 toumeyi occurs locally from the Chiricahua, Huachuca, and Santa Rita mountains in Cochise and Santa Cruz counties, Arizona, and the Mogollon Mountains in southern Catron County, New Mexico, south through northeastern Sonora in the Sierra Madre Occidental to west-central Chihuahua. H. F. Towner (1977) found that O. toumeyi is self-incompatible and vespertine.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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