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threadleaf evening-primrose, threadleaf sundrop

California evening primrose

Habit Herbs annual, caulescent, strigillose or glabrous, also often glandular puberulent, especially distally; from a sparsely branched taproot. Herbs winter-annual, younger parts sparsely to densely strigillose and sparsely to densely hirsute, older stems glabrate; from a taproot.
Stems

unbranched or with many ascending branches arising near base, erect, 10–50 cm.

ascending to erect, with decumbent branches, thickened at base, tapering toward apex, 10–35(–60) cm.

Leaves

in a basal rosette and cauline, basal 1–2(–4) × 0.2–0.6 cm, petiole 0.2–1(–1.5) cm, blade ovate to obovate or narrowly elliptic;

cauline 1–4 × less than 0.1 cm, sessile, blade linear or filiform.

in a basal rosette and cauline, basal 5–10(–26) × 0.6–1.5(–3.5) cm, cauline 5–8(–15.5) × 1–2 cm;

petiole 0–12 cm;

blade lanceolate to oblanceolate, margins pinnatifid or sometimes coarsely serrate.

Flowers

usually 1–3 opening per day near sunrise;

buds without free tips;

sepals 1.5–2 mm;

petals bright yellow, fading pink, obcordate to obovate, 3–5(–7) mm;

filaments 1–2 mm, anthers 0.5–1 mm;

style 1–2 mm, stigma surrounded by anthers at anthesis.

1–several opening per day near sunset;

buds nodding, weakly quadrangular, without free tips;

floral tube 26–31 mm;

sepals 19–26 mm, conspicuously maroon-spotted, each spot at base of a long hair;

petals white, fading pink to deep pink, broadly obovate or obcordate, 16–26(–36) mm;

filaments 9–15 mm, anthers 7–9 mm;

style 45–50 mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.

Capsules

ellipsoid-rhombic to subglobose, 4-angled, 4–6(–10) × 1.5–3 mm, stipe 0–4 mm, valve midrib raised at distal end, indehiscent or tardily dehiscent distally;

sessile.

spreading, woody in age, curved upward, or distal end recurved, cylindrical, obtusely 4-angled, especially toward base, tapering gradually from base to apex, 30–80 × 2.5–3.5 mm;

sessile.

Seeds

clustered in each locule, ovoid, surface minutely papillose, 1 × 0.5 mm.

numerous, in 1 row per locule, light brown to yellowish brown with dark purple splotches, obovoid, 1.6–2 mm.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Oenothera linifolia

Oenothera arizonica

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun(–Aug). Flowering (Oct–)Feb–May.
Habitat Prairies, open woodlands, open rocky and sandy sites, roadsides. Gravelly or sandy soil, along watercourses, disturbed sites.
Elevation 0–400 m. (0–1300 ft.) 200–1400 m. (700–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; IL; KS; KY; LA; MO; MS; NC; OK; SC; TN; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Sonora)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Kneiffia linearifolia Spach (1835) is an illegitimate name based on Oenothera linifolia.

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

Oenothera arizonica occurs in southern Arizona from Maricopa and Yuma counties to Cochise County, and from scattered localities in northern Sonora, Mexico, including Cerro Tepopa, Puerto Libertad, and Tastiota. The populations from southwestern Arizona (Yuma County) southward to Sonora often grow on low dunes.

Populations from sand dunes in Yuma County, Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, appear to be a large phenotype of Oenothera arizonica that differ from all other specimens in the size of vegetative parts and flowers, and comprise all of the atypical measurements given in the description. Oenothera arizonica typically grows on dunes in Sonora, but rarely so in Arizona. Populations growing on dunes should be studied further and compared to non-dune populations in the northern and eastern portion of the range. Oenothera arizonica is self-compatible (W. L. Wagner et al. 2007; K. E. Theiss et al. 2010).

(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. Peniophyllum Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Oenothera > sect. Anogra
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. 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. 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. 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. triangulata, O. triloba, O. tubicula, O. villosa, O. wolfii, O. xylocarpa
Synonyms Kneiffia linifolia, O. linifolia var. glandulosa, Peniophyllum linifolium O. deltoides var. arizonica, O. avita subsp. arizonica, O. californica subsp. arizonica
Name authority Nuttall: J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 2: 120. (1821) (Munz) W. L. Wagner: Novon 8: 308. (1998)
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