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false gaura

prairie beeblossom

Habit Herbs probably biennial, glabrous, becoming sparsely to densely glandular puberulent and short-villous distally, glaucous at least in proximal parts; from stout roots. Herbs annual, villous proximally, sparsely villous along veins and on margins, usually glabrate, sometimes strigillose distally; from taproot.
Stems

erect, branched or unbranched, 30–300 cm.

ascending, usually well-branched from base and distally, rarely unbranched, 15–60 cm.

Leaves

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.

in a basal rosette and cauline, 1.5–8 × 0.2–0.6(–1.5) cm, blade very narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate or oblong-elliptic, margins entire or weakly sinuate-dentate.

Inflorescences

long, wandlike, unbranched or branched.

Flowers

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.

3(or 4)-merous, zygomorphic, opening at sunset;

floral tube 4–5.5 mm;

sepals 4.5–6 mm;

petals white, fading pink, elliptic-obovate, 3.5–5 mm;

filaments 2–3.5 mm, anthers 1.5–3 mm, pollen 35–65% fertile;

style 9–10 mm, stigma surrounded by anthers.

Capsules

ovoid, 4-angled, somewhat flattened, 3–4 × 1.5–2.3 mm, valves with raised midrib and conspicuous lateral veins;

sessile.

narrowly obovoid, 3(or 4)-winged, furrowed between wings, 7–9 × 3–5 mm, narrowed at base;

sessile.

Seeds

1, pale yellow, oblanceoloid, 2.4–2.6 × 1–1.5 mm.

(1 or)2–5, yellowishto light brown, 1.5–3.5 × 1–1.5 mm.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Oenothera glaucifolia

Oenothera triangulata

Phenology Flowering May–Oct(–Nov). Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Rocky prairie slopes and outcrops or bluffs, along streams, roadsides, usuallyon limestone. Open, sandy sites.
Elevation 200–1300 m. (700–4300 ft.) 200–600 m. (700–2000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; CO; KS; MO; NE; NM; OK; TX; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OK; TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Oenothera triangulata is a PTH species and forms a ring of 14 chromosomes in meiosis. The species is self-compatible and autogamous (P. H. Raven and D. P. Gregory 1972[1973]). It may have been derived from hybridization between O. patriciae and O. suffulta. The species has a relatively narrow distribution across south-central Oklahoma and north-central Texas (Oklahoma in Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Grady, Oklahoma, Rogers, Stephens, and Tulsa counties; Texas in Archer, Baylor, Callahan, Clay, Coleman, Crosby, Eastland, Erath, Jones, Montague, Taylor, Throckmorton, Tom Greene, Wichita, Wilbarger, and Young counties).

(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. Stenosiphon 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. 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. 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. 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. triloba, O. tubicula, O. villosa, O. wolfii, O. xylocarpa
Synonyms Gaura linifolia, Stenosiphon linifolius Gaura triangulata, G. hexandra var. triangulata, G. tripetala var. triangulata
Name authority W. L. Wagner & Hoch: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 212. (2007) (Buckley) W. L. Wagner & Hoch: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 214. (2007)
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